Wintersweet Chimonanthus praecox
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ky-mon-ANTH-us PRE-koks
- Description
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Wintersweet is a fragrant deciduous shrub with delicate translucent flowers that appear in the winter and spring months. This medium to coarse textured plant can grow in a range of soil conditions as long as it is moist and well-drained but should be planted in full sun to partial shade. Its multi-stemmed, loose form has a fountain-like effect and it often becomes leggy and ragged with age. If the plant becomes leggy after flowering it can be severely pruned to rejuvenate and remove old stems.
Quick ID Hints:
- Opposite leaves, rough to the touch.
- Cane-like growth, fountain-shaped bush
- Yellow, fragrant winter flowers, purplish inside
- Deciduous shrub, blooms in winter, when leafless
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems.
VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Grandiflorus'
showier and purer-yellow flowers than the species, inner petals a striped maroon, not as fragrant. Leaves may be a bit larger an - 'Luteus'
Dark gold flowers
- 'Grandiflorus'
- 'Grandiflorus', 'Luteus'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Grandiflorus'
showier and purer-yellow flowers than the species, inner petals a striped maroon, not as fragrant. Leaves may be a bit larger an - 'Luteus'
Dark gold flowers
- 'Grandiflorus'
- 'Grandiflorus', 'Luteus'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Chimonanthus
- Species:
- praecox
- Family:
- Calycanthaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- China North-Central, China South-Central & China Southeast
- Wildlife Value:
- Attracts pollinators. Birds feed on the fruit.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Fragrance
- Wildlife Food Source
- Dimensions:
- Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 13 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Multi-stemmed
- Multi-trunked
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Spring
- Fruit Type:
- Achene
- Fruit Description:
- Non-showy fruit. Urn-shaped receptacle bearing 5-8 bean-shaped achenes, non-ornamental.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- White
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Winter
- Flower Shape:
- Cup
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- 0.7-1 in. waxy, yellowish-white, cupped flowers in winter to early spring on leafless stems. The flowers are fragrant with purple centers and occur on the previous season's growth. The inner tepals brown or purple, outer tepals yellow.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Cuneate
- Lanceolate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are green and the veins can be easily seen since the vein are a lighter color. Opposite, simple, lustrous, dark green leaves; 2.5-6 in. long; yellow-green fall color. Ovate-lanceolate, entire, acuminate, cuneate, rough to the touch.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Black
- Dark Brown
- Bark Description:
- Bark is dark brown to black.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Orange
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Squarish, shiny gray-brown, covered with orange-brown lenticels; cane-like growth.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Garden for the Blind
- Pollinator Garden
- Winter Garden
- Attracts:
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
