Winter Wonders

Suffering the winter blues? These spectacular winter blooming shrubs will help brighten even the gloomiest winter day.

Having grown up in Wisconsin where spring never seems to arrive till May, I must confess that when I first came to the East Coast some 20 odd years ago, the idea of shrubs flowering in January, February or March seemed an absolute incredulity. Shrubs that actually bloomed during the winter? Impossible, outside of that gardening Valhalla of England, I decided. But low and behold, one day rounding the corner of a tiny Cambridge backyard in early February, I was greeted by a most magical site: a witch hazel in full bloom, its yellow flowers extended merrily in greeting. Ever since that day, I’ve been hooked on early blooming shrubs, and am continually searching for interesting plants to brighten the hibernal gloom. Here are some candidates I urge you to investigate:

The Pussywillow Clan, Salix spp.
Most of you are familiar with the standard pussy willow Salix discolor (it is, after all, native to much of the US) but what you might not know is that thanks to recent introductions from the Far East, the pussy willow world has been considerably expanded. A number of new varieties have appeared on the scene that make the plain green leaves and gray catkins of my youth seem pretty mundane. Salix chaenomeloides, the Giant Pussy Willow, for example, is a considerable improvement on previous cultivars. The Giant Pussy Willow has dark red buds on mahogany branches that open to grayish catkins with a pinkish tinge. (20’ ; Z5/6-8). Another interesting variety, Salix gracilistyla ‘Melanostachys’’, the Black Pussy Willow, lives up to its name: jet-black catkins appear before the bright green leaves making it a striking candidate for forcing. (15’ x 15’; Z5-7b.)

Salix fargesii growing at the Van Dusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, BC.

Another of my favorites is Salix fargesii. I first spied this plant on a tour of the Van Dusen botanical gardens in Vancouver, and have twice been able to persuade the staff to part with some cuttings, each time however, to no avail – they failed to take here at the Garden. I’m undaunted however, and vow to succeed with this plant yet. Specialty mail order nurseries (see sources, below) carry this delightful plant, and I urge you to track it down. Salix fargesii’s purplish-red stems covered with large reddish buds is one of the prettiest sights I’ve ever seen in a later winter garden. (10’ x 10’; Z5/6-8/9)

Lonicera fragrantissima
While most of us are familiar with various members of the honeysuckle clan, few people know or grow one of the best members of the tribe, the Winter Honeysuckle. Covered in highly fragrant, white blooms as early as January in the south, the large growing shrub (15' x 15’) should be far more common in our gardens than it is. In Southern climates, the foliage is partially evergreen. The only problem with this plant is its size; left to itself, it gets huge, and after flowering, it sits as a dull green mound in the garden for the rest of the season. Removing one third of the old growth each year, plus a thorough shearing after flowering should keep it in check. (Z 4-8/9)

The Heath Clan, Erica spp
If the mention of heaths only conjures up visions of the Scottish moors, think again, for these delightful plants could be equally at home in your American garden. Beginning to bloom long before the snow melts, heaths carry a profusion of rose, pink and white flowers for weeks. One of the reasons these delightful plants aren’t more commonly used in American gardens has to do with a mistaken belief about their hardiness. Contrary to general impression, heaths (and their close kin, the heathers) are quite hardy, often to Zone 4B, as long as several important conditions are met. They CANNOT stand soggy conditions, and they require full sun, and preferably, slightly acidic soil. (1-2’; Z4/5-7)

The Witch-Hazel Clan, Hamamelis spp.
H. virginiana, the American witch-hazel, was prized in Colonial and early Victorian gardens for its late fall bloom, and can still often be found in the landscape today.  By and large, however, horticultural interest has shifted to virginiana’s oriental cousin, H. mollis: the flowers of H. mollis are larger and far more fragrant than those of its American relative, and bloom later – in the very dead of winter. In fact, the blossoms possess a trait quite unique in the horticultural world. The small flowers, which really do look like those streamers on a pom-pom, unroll themselves and expand on sunny winter days when the temperature rises above freezing. Come night and cold, the flowers quickly curl up again, only to reopen when conditions are once more sympathetic. This dramatic show can go on for weeks, given the variable nature of winter weather, and I find this to be one of the most extraordinary and entertaining dramas of the early gardening year.

Witch-hazel 'Arnold Promise' blooming here at the Garden in January

Given the Witch-hazels exceptional qualities, there has been considerable interest, especially abroad, in breeding new hybrids, and recently a number of these have come to the market, some with reddish flowers, others closer to white, and still others with more extended periods of bloom. (Check your local nurseries, or Sources, below.) In terms of culture, all witch-hazels prefer well drained, fertile soil, slightly on the acid side. Some, especially the American variety, can tolerate light shade, and make good understory plantings. Left to themselves, most varieties will form a large mounded shrub, growing ultimately to 15'-30' high. Pruned to a single stem however, they make delightful small trees, and to me at least, are more effective this way in the landscape. Whichever way you choose to shape your specimen, try to locate it against a dark background: the blossoms take on an almost theatrical effect when seen silhouetted against the uniform darkness of a massing of yews, a fence or barn wall. One point to note in the interests of fairness: those lovely pictures of bare branched witch-hazels you see in books are somewhat deceptive. Witch-hazels have the annoying habit of retaining their leaves throughout the winter, which can totally obscure the blossoms if left on the branch. Fortunately the leaf removal process is easy: cup your hand, and gently reverse down the branches. The leaves break off easily, leaving the buds unscathed. While it sounds tedious, it takes only about 20 minutes for me to do our 6 x 10’ shrub here at the Garden. (Z5-8/9)

Abeliophyllum, White Forsythia
As it’s common name implies, White Forsythia blossoms early in the year long before most shrubs have even roused themselves from dormancy. This low-growing (3'-5’ by as wide) shrub covers itself with white flowers before leafing out, making for quite a spectacular display, especially when interplanted with it’s pink flowering cousin ‘Roseum.’

White Forsythia. (Image courtesy of The University of BC Botanical Garden)

Abeliophyllum is strangely underused in American gardens, despite the fact that Michael Dirr, the well known woody-plant guru, feels that Abeliophyllum is more dependable in rough Midwestern climates than most of the Forsythia x intermedia cultivars, which are often injured by late bouts of severe cold. Perhaps this plant’s only downfall is its somewhat rangy appearance, similar in look and texture to the weeping Forsythias. A heavy trim just after flowering will keep its ragged habit in check. (Z4-8/9)

Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis Himalayan Sarcococca, Sweetbox

Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis

Now here’s a plant I just discovered this year, and am dying to try out: an evergreen, stoloniferous, spreading shrub, which grows only to 2-3’ and prefers shade! Already these characteristics would be enough to get me excited, but add to that the fact that the ½ longwhite flowers (partially hidden by the glossy foliage) are said to fill the garden with waves of fragrance in later winter. What more can you ask from any plant? I’ve placed several on order, and will report on our progress in later issues. Probably because Sweetbox are so little grown, there seems to be some question as to their hardiness. Dirr thinks Z6, but Buffin (see this month’s book selection) thinks 5 with protection. Definitely a plant to experiment with!

Sources:
Many of the plants listed above can be found at local nurseries with a bit of persistence. Mail order sources abound, but one of my favorites, and one of the most comprehensive, is Forest Farm nurseries: www.forestfarm.com. For an additional listing of heaths and heathers, try Rockspray Nursery www.rockspray.com