Description
Orixa –
There is a sole species of a deciduous, spreading, dioecious shrub in this genus. It occurs from woodlands and thickets in the mountainous regions of China, Korea, and Japan. It is grown for it elegant, aromatic, dark green, alternate leaves to 5″ long and open habit. Male and female flowers are borne on the same plants just as the leaves emerge in spring. It produces 4 lobed brown fruits which are about 3/4″ in diameter. It is suitable for a shrub border, mixed border, or woodland garden. Used for hedging in Japan.
Grow in fertile, well drained soil in sun or shade. Tolerant of dry soils and exposed positions.
O. japonica – This spreading, slender branched, deciduous shrub from China, Korea, and Japan grows 8′ feet tall and 12′ feet wide. It produces simple, alternate, obovate to inversely lance shaped, aromatic, dark green leaves, to 5″ long, pale yellow in autumn. In spring along with the leaves it bears cup shaped, 4 petaled greenish flowers, to 1/4″ across, males are borne in small panicles, to 1 1/4″ long, females singly. Female plants bears 4 lobed brown fruits, 3/4″ across.
Zones 6-10
