Chimonanthus (Wintersweet) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Calycanthaceae, comprising six species. This genus is native to mostly boreal and temperate climate ecoregions, which run across Eurasia from western Europe to the Bering Sea.
Chimonanthus, 2-13 m tall, is a deciduous or evergreen shrubs with leaves that are opposite and entire, 7-20 cm long , 3-7 cm broad. The strongly scented flowers are 2-3 cm wide with numerous spirally-arranged yellow or white petals, borne in late winter or early spring before the new leaves emerge. The fruit is an elliptic dry capsule 3-4 cm long.
Chimonanthus praecox (Japanese Allspice), 4 x 3 m, is the only widely-grown species in the genus. It is a vigorous, upright, deciduous shrub, grown for its fragrant, bowl-shaped, lemon-yellow winter flowers, each flower to 2.5 cm across with a red basal spot. The flowers are also used in florestry as cut flower branches. The flowers are borne on bare stems in winter, before the long, lance-shaped, glossy, mid-green flowers appear.
A few cultivars have been developed, although not as scented as the species. 'Grandiflorus' has deep yellow flowers with bold, dark red markings at the centre. 'Parviflorus' has pale yellow flowers, while the late-flowering 'Luteus' has clear yellow flowers.
Chimonanthus can be grown as ornamental plant in the garden , although it is rather unattractive once the flowers are over. It can also grown in mixed border, or can be trained as a wall shrub. Prune plant in spring, after flowering.
Chimonanthus is a hardy, trouble free plant, and do well in full sun and well-drained soil. Propagation is by softwood cuttings in summer.
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