Description
Corylopsis – Winter Hazel –
There are about 10 species of deciduous shrubs and small trees, in this genus. They occur in woodland and scrub in the Eastern Himalayas, China, Taiwan and Japan. They have alternate, simple, egg shaped, blunt toothed, light to dark green leaves. Young stems are downy. Before the leaves emerge, in spring it bears pendent spikes or racemes of 6-20 bell shaped, fragrant, 5 petalled, pale yellow or greenish flowers followed by ½” wide fruits ripening in summer among the small, woody capsules each containing 2 black,. Shiny seeds. Grow in a woodland garden or in a shrub or mixed border.
Grow in cool climates, in fertile, moist but well drained, acidic soil in partial shade.
C. pauciflora – Buttercup Winter Hazel – This bushy, spreading shrub from Japan and Taiwan grows 4-6′ feet tall and 8′ feet wide. From slender branches, which are bronze when young, carry ovate, bright green leaves, to 3″ long, which are also bronze when young. In early and mid spring it bears abundant pale yellow flowers that open very widely, in few flowered, pendent racemes up to 5, to 1 1/4″ long, followed by hairless fruit that ripens in autumn. Does best in a very sheltered position.
Zones 6-9
