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. spicata – Spike Winter Hazel – This open, spreading shrub from Japan grows 6′ feet tall and 10′ feet wide. It produces ovate to obovate leaves, that are grayish beneath, to 4″ long. In spring it bears bright yellow flowers, with large pale green bracts, and red anthers, in slender pendent racemes, to 6″ long.
Zones 5-9
