Plant of the month: February

Edgeworthia chrysantha
Common name: paper bush
Family: Thymelaeaceae

Vital statistics
Height and spread: 1.5m (5ft) high and wide
Form: Deciduous shrub
Soil: Moist, well drained, humus rich, loamy soil
Aspect: Full sun or dappled shade
Hardiness: Frost hardy, can withstand temperatures down to -5ºC

There are two plants of Edgeworthia chrysantha at Rosemoor, both growing in the Rock Gully, either side of the underpass which connects Lady Anne's Garden with the New Garden. This sheltered, narrow, deep-sided track is the perfect environment for a wide selection of unusual plants, many are tucked in among the rocks which provide an ideal micro-climate for the more tender, shade-loving subjects.

Edgeworthia

A small genus of just three species of shrubs related to Daphne and native to woodlands in the Himalayas and China. The only widely cultivated species is Edgeworthia chrysantha.
The genus is named in honour of Michael Pakenham Edgeworth (1812-1881) of the East India Company's Service, a keen amateur botanist who collected many new plants in India.

Edgeworthia chrysantha

Introduced in 1845, Edgeworthia chrysantha is a deciduous Chinese shrub with cinnamon-coloured young bark and dense nodding terminal clusters of fragrant yellow flowers which open in late winter. The branches are so flexible that when young they can be tied in knots.

The flowers are clothed on the outside with silky hairs, giving them a white appearance when in bud. A form with orange-red flowers is also in cultivation under the name Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Red Dragon'.

The bark of Edgeworthia chrysantha is used in Japan for the manufacture of high quality paper used for making bank notes. Edgeworthia chrysantha is occasionally referred to under its synonym Edgeworthia papyrifera, the epithet papyrifera meaning paper-bearing.

Often planted in woodland gardens where the flowers provide interest in late winter when many other plants are dormant.

Cultivation

Edgeworthia chrysantha grows best in a moist but well-drained, humus rich, loamy soil in full sun or light dappled shade. It is reasonably hardy but in frost-prone areas it should be grown against a warm wall.

Once established little maintenance is needed. As the plant matures any old and unproductive stems can be cut out to the base after flowering. Otherwise, little pruning is needed.

Edgeworthia chrysantha is rarely troubled by pests or diseases.

Propagation

Seeds should be sown in autumn in a cold frame or plants can be raised using semi-ripe cuttings in summer.