Edgeworthia

( ej - WORTH - ee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

This species is related to Daphne (a part of the Thymelaeaceae family) and is native to forests and shrubby slopes in China. It is commonly called Oriental Paperbush or Mistumata and is also known under the alternate botanical name Edgeworthia papyrifera. These deciduous shrubs require full sun or light shade and regular water and reach 3-6 feet tall and 2-6 feet wide. Stems grow directly from the base, and flower in winter to early spring when fragrant pale yellow clusters of flowers open from silky buds formed the previous fall. Blooming branch cuttings are handsome in arrangements. When not in bloom, these shrubs are clothed in handsome foliage, and provide summertime greenery to gardens. The genus was named for Michael Packenham Edgeworth, an Irish botanist active in the early 1800s. ​Edgeworthia chrysantha grows best in zones 5-9 and 14-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Caring for and pruning Edgeworthia shrubs

Provide these shrubs with full sun to light shade exposure, and plant in soil that is well-draining, fertile and acidic. The more sun these shrubs receive, the more they will bloom but they will also require a bit more water. Keep soil consistently moist during the summer and fall months. These shrubs do not require supplemental feedings, as long as the soil is amended yearly with organic material. Prune only to remove dead or diseased branches and unwanted suckers. These shrubs will send up shoots via rhizomes, increasing their size over time, but they are not considered invasive. 

Propagation

Paper Bush 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. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Edgeworthia chrysantha by Cutting
  1. 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.
  2. In summertime, 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 semi-hardwood 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower two thirds. 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.
  3. 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 four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth you'll know you have roots.
  4. 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. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Edgeworthia chrysantha by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, 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.
  2. Harvest your seeds in late springtime, once flowers have been pollinated and faded. Store the seeds in an airtight container until you are ready to plant them, and keep them a little moist.
  3. In springtime, 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 a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 8-12 weeks 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.
  4. 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 a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home. If temperatures are lower than 70 degrees outdoors when you plant your Paper Bush, make sure to slowly introduce the shrub to the cooler temperatures before planting, as this will lessen the effects of transplant shock.
Once Paper Bush flowers fade, seeds will be left behind on branches, and can be collected for propagation.
Paper Bush seeds are relatively small, and should be kept moist until ready to be planted.

Problems and Pests

Edgeworthia chrysantha does not suffer from pest or disease problems. 

Gallery

Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Akebono'
Has orange-red flowers.​
Paperbush is handsome even when not blooming, when large leaves cover the entire plant.
Use Paper Bush as a specimen plant or featured plant in your garden, where both its early flowers and beautiful foliage can be on display.

Videos

All about Edgeworthia chrysantha.
How to plant and care for Edgeworthia shrubs.
How to identify Edgeworthia chrysantha shrubs.
How to propagate Edgeworthia shrubs.

Resources

Edgeworthia chrysantha: San Francisco Botanical Garden
How to Grow and Care for Paper Bush
Wikipedia: Edgeworthia chrysantha
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 298, Edgeworthia chrysantha
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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