Chimonanthus praecox
( kye - moh - NANTH - us PRAY - koks )
At-A-Glance Information
Wintersweet is the common name for this species of deciduous shrub, which needs moderate water and afternoon shade in the hottest climates. Its scientific name is derived from the Greek words for winter (cheimon) and flower (anthus). The epithet 'praecox' means 'very early'. Blossoms on this shrub are spicy-scented and appear on leafless branches in winter or spring. Blossoms last for about a month, until the winter frost kills them off. These shrubs have an open growth habit and can reach 10-15 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide. Blooms begin translucent with dark centers and are marked with purple, brown, and maroon. Green leaves will turn yellow in autumn. Wintersweet grows best in zones 4-9 and 14-21 (to find your zone, click here: Zone Map).
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Caring for and pruning chimonanthus praecox shrubs
The best way to grow a Wintersweet shrub is from a nursery specimen; those grown from cutting or seed take a long time to mature, and will take up to 15 years to flower. These nursery plants will take about a year to be established. Wintersweet grows best in soils that are loamy or sandy, but will also adapt to amended clay conditions. The main soil quality these shrubs need is for it to be well-draining. They also prefer full sun conditions, but in warmer climates will need some afternoon dappled shade to perform well. Yearly after blooms fade, cut old wood down to a foot or less in height. This will rejuvenate the plant for the coming year. Don't attempt to control the habit of this plant via pruning; it is best when left to its own devices, and actually has a very pleasing, cascading nature to it. These shrubs do not need to be fertilized, but if you're noticing less blooms or the plant seems to be struggling, it could possibly benefit from a feeding with a balanced fertilizer about once or twice a month from spring through summer, and an additional feeding with a high phosphorus, high potassium fertilizer in early wintertime before blooms emerge to increase flowering.
Propagation
Wintersweet can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. Also note that Wintersweet will take around 5-12 years before flowering if grown from seed. To propagate your Wintersweet shrub, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Chimonanthus praecox by Cutting
Propagating Chimonanthus praecox by Seed
Propagating Chimonanthus praecox by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In July or August, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home.
Propagating Chimonanthus praecox by Seed
- Keep in mind that the shrub you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant (ant that it will take a while to bloom - as much as 15 years). To propagate by seed, you will need a paper envelope, a paper towel, a sealable container, a bowl, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. The seed pods on Caesalpinia plants are pretty easy to spot, they're large and dangle from the branches, left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
- Place your seeds in lukewarm water for two hours, then remove them, placing them in a damp paper towel. Place the towel in a ziploc bag, and then put it in a warm, dark location for three days.
- Remove the seeds from the plastic bag and paper towel, allow them to dry out, and then place them in an envelope in a sealed container. Place the container in your refrigerator for 5-8 weeks.
- Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in an area that receives bright, indirect light and stays around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 60 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring or early summer (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home in your garden.
Problems and Pests
Wintersweet can be affected by the following issues:
- Scale
- Grasshopper Cicada
Gallery
Videos
An introductory video to the species.
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How to identify a Wintersweet shrub.
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A short video about Chimonanthus praecox.
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An informative video about Wintersweet.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Pages 239 - 240, Chimonanthus praecox
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