Chimonanthus Species, Fragrant Wintersweet Tree, Japanese Allspice, Winter Sweet

I plant 3 Wintersweet over 9 years in Flushing New York, and I enjoy the harvest of seeds and also the cut flower, the fragrant and beau...Read Morety of blooming is what I expect every winter.

I was given this plant about 5 years ago, grown from seed, and only about 12"-14" tall, by a man who loved growing things that were fair...Read Morely uncommon. We traded--I gave him a rooted "Tamarack" tree (about 10" tall) which also has NO business growing here in MD!

Now (2005), my Wintersweet is about 8' tall and about 5' wide. Last winter (2004) it flowered for the first time. Sparsly--but it flowered. I expect next February to see a better show!

The shrub is vase-shaped with new growth coming from the base and from existing branches in an upward fashion. . The leaves are similar to those of a Forsythia, but a bit larger and very rough/abrasive to the touch--like fine sandpaper. I have observed that the roots are quite superficial and matted, making it hard to dig in the soil around this bush. If it did not have a sentimental value to me, I would not choose to have it in a flower bed. Maybe out in an area of it's own--but not in a bed. I am in Z-7a. The Cicadas had a feast on this plant last Summer. It lost quite a few branch-tips. Didn't seem to bother it.

Just today, 8/28/05, I found several seed pods on this bush. They contained one seed each, about the size of a sunflower seed, but more rounded. There is no coating on the seeds. They are a nice cinnamon color. I will try to grow them.

I'm buying one of these as soon as I find a spot in my garden. They smell amazing! Sweet but not cloying, and very strong. I'd recommend ...Read Moregrowing one near a back or front door where you'll pass in winter. The flowers look rather like jellyfish, and they are fleshy, with thick petals and a firm texture; they are about the size of a thumbnail. In the summer, it's apparently pretty boring (will upload a pic when I get a plant), but who cares? The winter fragrance is worth it.

In my continued search for plants that bloom in the winter time, I was able to find a very small seedling of Chimonanthus praecox at a pl...Read Moreant sale last year. It started out about 6-8 inches tall and is still 6-8 inches tall. I recently had the opportunity to buy a 1-gallon size of this plant and I hope that this one will do better and will grow, thrive, and bloom soon. I am not sure how old the plant has to be before it starts to bloom. I have read good things about this plant and the blooms are supposed to be very fragrant so I am rating this a positive.