Chimonanthus praecox

[Hans J]

Hi all ,

a friend of mine has suggest me Chimonanthus praecox ...he told me it has wonderful fragrance
but I have it never seen here in Germany  ( or maybe I have it seen and I was thinking it a Hamamelis  )

If anybody here knows this plant so I have some questions :
How hardy is it ? ( I live in Zone 8a)
Any advices for soil ?
Sun , semishade or shade ?

For all suggestions I would be glad
Hans

[Maggi Young]

Han:   Uli Würth  ("Onion" in the Forum) works with shrubs - he will be the best man to advise on this plant  for your garden, I think.

It is grown in the UK, I know  - does quite well at Wisley, I believe.

[Hans J]

Thank you Maggi !

this means in Scotland grow it not ?
To cold ?
To much rain ?

[Maggi Young]

I really don't know if it grows much here or not - when it comes to shrubs I am   rather blind when it is not a rhododendron 

[Steve Garvie]

I have one in our central Scotland garden.
In a mild winter such as this it is evergreen but it did tend to lose its leaves in the winters of old.

Our plant is rather open and leggy being partially shaded by an Ash tree. It produces very few flowers (? due to shade) and in our modest sized garden does not really pay its way.

=>>>   Puts on his coat and reaches for the chain-saw! 

[Afloden]

Hans,

 I grow this plant and it is (was?) currently in flower. I brought a branch in for the fragrance which is sweet and musty somewhat like Musacari muscarimi. It is fully hardy down to -10 F as I have had it in my parents garden in Kansas for over a decade. It rarely flowered there though. Even in my current garden it does not remain evergreen and I don't think it is a real evergreen in the true sense. My plants lost all there leaves, or most of them before the first frosts this fall. Semishade and some moisture is good. It has a broad distribution in China and there are many forms of it.

 I've never gotten seed on mine, but cuttings are easy in early summer.

 Aaron

[johnw]

Aaron - Chimonanthus praecox from a very hardy form ex Hangx Houi B.G. Zhejiang, China (I presume they meant Hangzhou BG) was killed outright at +5-+10F.  I guess we do not get enough heat to ripen it properly.

johnw  - -3c, blazing sun

[Giles]

There is one at college (Worcs): South-facing wall/full sun. 12 ft high; flowers prolifically; can smell it from 100yds. Came through -20^oC without damage.
Several cvs are available http://www.chris-pattison.co.uk/shrubs.html

[Giles]

..and its very easy from seed  http://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/search?q=Chimonanthus

[Margaret]

This has a wonderful scent but it's not a good looker.  Best tucked away behind something else but near a path.

[Martina Kopsieker]

Hi Hans,
I had this shrub from a nursery in Gießen ( Engelhardt) about 1m high, but here in the Sauerland it didn't survive, but in your area it should.

Kind regards, Martina

[Afloden]

True John, heat seems to be a requirement for hardiness to fully ripen the wood.

[Alan_b]

Chimonanthus praecox ("Wintersweet") is one of the various winter-scented plants grown on the famous "Winter Walk" at nearby Anglesey Abbey.  The scent is my favourite of all the scented plants there.  The various shrubs on the walk are quite densely-packed so I guess that gives it some shelter.  It never flowers prolifically; some years and some specimens are better than others.  But to my mind it is still worthwhile because the scent is so good.   

[Onion]

Hans,
we grow this plant in the nursery. To your climate it is full hardy. The last winters damaged the large plants (2, 5 Meter), but they survived. The grow in Zone 6b (Forest Botanical Garden Goettingen). The problem is to get a plant that flowers good.
Plants propagate by seeds are often " bad  flower"-examples.
You need acid soil. Not like as for rhododendrons but pH 6,5 must enough.

[johnralphcarpenter]

This is Chimonanthus praecox flowering today here in Kent. Fully hardy and definitely deciduous. I wouldn't be without this shrub for its exotic scent in midwinter, so I grow it next to the path. Agreed, it is not a looker in summer with boring green foliage, but it puts on some good autumn colour, turning butter yellow.