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. sinensis ‘Spring Purple’ – C. willmottiae ‘Spring Purple’ – Chinese Winter Hazel – This vigorous, ope4n, upright to spreading shrub from Western China grows 10-12′ feet tall and 12′ feet wide. From velvety branches it carries obovate to oblong, pointed leaves, to 5″ long, that are dark plum-purple when young. From mid spring to early summer it bears lemon yellow flowers with orange anthers, in pendent racemes, to 3″ long.
Zones 5-9
