Perfumes of Winter

11/30/2004
Perfumes of Winter

Does it surprise you that some of the very most fragrant flowering shrubs bloom in winter? It certainly amazes me. And while its tempting to reach the anthropomorphic conclusion that this wondrous phenomenon exists expressly to lift the languishing spirits of winter-bound gardeners, such is of course not the case.

I've never read any theories for the existence of some of the woody plant world's most piercing perfumes being those of winter-blooming shrubs. But I'd be willing to bet that it's a cunning plant ploy to attract the few pollinating insects that might be circulating on a sunny winter day. If these flowers turned out to be wind-pollinated, that would negate my theory. Any botany experts out there who can resolve this discussion?



Whatever the reason for their existence, these wondrous fragrances can be yours for the growing. Gardeners living as far north as Zone 5 can enjoy quite a few of these plants, while those of you in more temperate zones can of course plant all these and more!

Hybrid witchhazels (Hamamelis x intermedia) and Chinese witchhazels (Hamamelis mollis) are perhaps the best-known sources of winter fragrance in the garden. 'Jelena', the variety pictured above right, is only one of many outstanding cultivars. 'Arnold Promise' has bright lemon-yellow flowers; 'Diana' has deep red blooms, while 'Moonlight,' my favorite of the hybrid cultivars, has pale yellow blossoms with deep red centers and an especially sweet fragrance. 'Pallida' is my favorite cultivar of Chinese witchhazel, also with pale sulfur-yellow flowers and a wonderful fragrance that carries on the wind. These witchhazels bloom from January through April.

The fragrance of witchhazels is one I find very difficult to describe accurately. Sometimes it reminds me of the scent of sun-dried laundry--although that prosaic comparison doesn't do it justice. Some people liken it to the fragrance of 'bay rum', but I've never been able to perceive why. Suffice it to say that it is a delicious and ethereal scent, best characterized by your own nose.

Hybrid witchhazels are very large, vase-shaped shrubs that should be planted where they have room to develop. They need no pruning except for removal of deadwood and root suckers, which often sprout from their grafted rootstocks. Plant these witchhazels in full sun to light shade, in humusy, slightly acid soil. They are hardy in Zones 5 through 8.



Mahonias are already blooming here in Paris now in early December. What is frustrating to me is that I haven't been able to figure what species they are (photo left). But like all mahonias, these have spikes of bright yellow, intensely fragrant flowers that to me smell like honey and to others like lily-of-the-valley.

In the U.S., the species of mahonia most often grown is Mahonia aquifolium or Oregon grapeholly. This shrub grows up to 9 or 10 feet tall with about half the spread. Hardy in Zones 4-8, it will stay considerably lower in the northern part of its range. Mahonia is a broadleaf evergreen, with pinnately compound, spiky leaflets that resemble holly leaves. Especially in the northern parts of its range, mahonia requires extremely special siting, requiring that difficult condition: winter shade. This is because its foliage is extremely sensitive to "burning" in winter sun; shelter from drying winter winds is also important.

Oregon grapeholly blooms anywhere from January through April, depending on zone and siting. The fragrant blossoms are followed by clusters of blue-black fruits resembling bunches of grapes, which usually ripen the following fall.

Mahonia repens, creeping mahonia, is an extremely interesting groundcover for Zones 5-8. It is a prostrate-growing shrub which spreads by stolons and like its upright cousin, requires winter shade for good success in cold areas.



The humble winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) is a shrub whose charms lie almost uniquely in its fragrance. While it makes a stalwart screening shrub, being semi-evergreen, it has a rather nondescript character. Even its flowers--tiny, white, and unprepossessing (photo right)--are low-key...in every way except their fragrance, which is sweet and powerful.

Plant winter honeysuckle in full sun to part shade and give it room. It grows 6-10 feet tall and equally wide. It is not particular as to soil, and is hardy in Zones 4-8.

Winterhazels (Corylopsis spp.) are little-grown shrubs that deserve wider planting. Hardy from Zones 5-8 or 9, these refined shrubs bely their tribe (Hamamelidaceae) by their winter flowering, zigzagging stems, and scalloped leaves. In late winter, the aptly named winterhazels open their pale yellow flowers in racemes that dangle like so many jeweled earrings from their delicate zigzagged branches (see main photo at head of article). They have a second season of interest in autumn, when they often display fiery orange fall color. Their fragrance is ethereal and not all that different in character from that of their witchhazel cousins.

Fragrant winterhazel (Corylopsis glabrescens) is the hardiest of the tribe, growing in Zones 5-8. However, in Zone 5 it will bloom closer to the spring side of winter. Fragrant winterhazel is a large, open shrub growing up to 8 or 9 feet tall.

Buttercup winterhazel (Corylopsis pauciflora) is much more compact in habit, rarely exceeding 4 feet and if anything growing a bit wider than tall. I believe that this is the species I have in the photograph, although I stand to be corrected by any crack botanists out there. Hardy to Zone 6, it prefers a woodland setting and acid soil.



Those of you gardening on the west coast or in the South can enjoy the sweet perfume of sweet box (Sarcocca ruscifolia). This evergreen shrub has inconspicuous, fringey trusses of tiny white blossoms that pack a real perfume punch. Their fragrance in the air even on the coldest day is an olfactory hallucination--like a whiff of a tropical island in the midst of icicles. The fragrance is so wonderful that I've been moved to write about it elsewhere in these pages, but a little extra press won't hurt this seldom-mentioned plant.

Sweet box is appropriately named, as it is a member of the boxwood family, native to China. It actually requires shade, which for those of you with big trees everywhere is a real advantage. Sweet box also needs acid soil and evenly moist soil. It is very compact and naturally grows no taller than 3 feet, making it an ideal candidate for the low-maintenance landscape. Sweet box is hardy from Zones 7-9.



Finally, those of you lucky enough to garden in milder winter areas of the country can enjoy the powerfully sweet scents of the winter-blooming viburnums. While the plants themselves of these species are hardy to Zone 5, the flowers will winterkill in some years in the northern range of the shrub. If you want to try to grow the fragrant viburnum (V. farreri) or its hybrid, V. x bodnatense (photo above), in the colder zones, choose a spot as protected as possible. Maritime climates are the ideal zones to enjoy the pungently sweet, clove-spiced scent of these viburnums' blossoms, which open sporadically from late fall through late winter.

The fragrant viburnums prefer full to part sun and well-drained but moist soil. They can grow quite tall--up to 12 feet in milder zones. Because of their rather stiff structure, these viburnums look good with a low-growing, softly mounding shrub, such as Taxus baccata 'Repandens,' planted in front of them.

Whichever of these winter perfumeries you plant in your garden, be sure to treat yourself to a few cut branches in a vase indoors, where the warm air will intensify and liberate their perfume to flood an entire room. Sit back, close your eyes, inhale...and realize that the best luxuries can't be bought for money.

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