Winter can be sweet
Wintersweet, Chimonanthus fragrans, is one of those independent plants that chooses to bloom in winter. Its ivory bells, while not the showiest flowers, are quite elegant close up. And there you will also catch the perfume, one of the most delicious in the plant world.
A large deciduous shrub to 8-10 feet tall, wintersweet is attractive at all seasons. Long, tapered leaves point down from arching branches, and color clear yellow in fall. By January, the flowers begin their show, which extends through March.
Plant wintersweet somewhere that you pass frequently so that you can enjoy its sweet pleasures easily. The plant is easy to grow, in sun or part shade, in any decent soil, in Zone 7 and up. It is fairly drought hardy once established. Unfortunately, it may take five years or so for a new plant to reach blooming age, but your patience will be amply rewarded.
Wintersweet is hard to find in nurseries, but we have them in #0 and #1 sizes, $7.00 and $14.00.
