Wintersweet is a wonderful winter-blooming shrub tree.
Wise Wintersweet facts
Name – Chimonanthus praecox
Family – Calycanthaceae
Type – shrub
Height – 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters)
Exposure – full sun
Soil – ordinary
Foliage – deciduous or evergreen
Flowering – January to March
Planting, pruning and care, if well done, will increase growth and blooming of your wintersweet tree.
Planting wintersweet
Wintersweet can be planted to the ground either in spring or in fall.
- Soil type doesn’t matter.
- Best find a spot that is in light sun without any scorching heat. This will produce the most abundant blooming.
- Follow our advice on planting shrubs.
Pruning and caring for Wintersweet
It isn’t really necessary to prune wintersweet. Prior to pruning, remember that wintersweet will only bear flowers on stems that are already a year old.
- Remove dead wood and broken branches whenever you notice them.
If you wish to reshape or reduce the size of the largest branches somewhat, then wait for blooming to be over.
Wintergreen care is easy and it will love being planted in light shade.
Learn more about Wintersweet
This shrub will produce a magnificent blooming as early as January, which lasts until fair days arrive.
Both fragrant and luminous, its flowers will appeal to you and bring you joy, a blessing in the winter cold.
All in all, wintersweet is a very ornamental shrub. Much loved is the delicate, sweet fragrance of this winter bloomer.
Little care is required, only a bit of water in summer in case of high temperatures.
Known wintersweet varieties
The following varieties boast evergreen leafage: Chimonanthus campanulatus, Chimonanthus grammatus, Chimonanthus nitens.
Smart tip about Winter sweet
Mulch can keep wintersweet from feeling water stress in summer.
Don’t ingest wintersweet seeds because they’re poisonous
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CC BY 2.0: TANAKA Juuyoh 田中十洋, Ajari
Where do I buy winter sweet
Hi Li, wintersweet is normally available in garden stores under the name “chimonanthus”. Some online retailers offer them for sale to be delivered by post, too.