Description
Dipelta –
There are about 4 species of deciduous shrubs, in this genus. They occur in scrub and woodland in China with one being established in Western Gardens. They are valued for their peeling barks, their spring or early summer borne fragrant, pinkish or purplish bell shaped flowers, held singly or in short corymbs of up to 8 and for the papery bracts that surround the fruits. The simple, ovate to oval-lance shaped, pointed leaves are carried in opposite pairs. Grow as a specimen or in a large shrub border.
Grow these drought tender plants in fertile, moist, but well drained, preferably alkaline soil in sun or partial shade, shelter from strong winds.
D. floribunda – Rosy Dipelta – This upright, multi stemmed shrub from Lower mountains of Central and Western China grows 12′ feet tall and 10-12′ feet wide. It has pale brown, peeling bark. It produces ovate to oval-lance, sharp pointed, pale green leaves, to 4″ long. In late spring and early summer it bears fragrant, drooping corymbs of 1-6 tubular, orange-yellow throated pale pink flowers, to 1 ½” long.
Zones 6-9
