Edgeworthia chrysantha

Paul B3

On Friday of last week , (as a bit of a thankyou) , a client gave me a large potted Edgeworthia chrysantha . (For a job well done need I add) 

They apparently relish a moist humus-rich soil and prefer dappled shade .

I would appreciate anyone's input and experience with this particular species .

Thankyou in advance !

fidgetbones

Lucky you. The only ones I have seen are at Kew near the lake. They are in the same bed as a load of camellias, so presumably like acidic soil,, or at least don't complain about it. I believe Kew has access to stable manure from the  Horse guards stables, but I suppose ordinary farm yard or stable manure will do as a mulch.

RHS says

Edgeworthia chrysantha

paperbush

• Family Thymelaeaceae

• Genus Edgeworthia can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, with simple leaves and rounded terminal clusters of small, daphne-like, often fragrant flowers

• Details E. chrysantha is a bushy deciduous shrub with very flexible shoots bearing rounded inflorescences 5cm across, composed of numerous small, lightly fragrant yellow flowers opening from hairy buds in late winter and early spring, before the narrowly oval leaves appear

• Plant range China

Characteristics

• Foliage Deciduous

• Habit Bushy

• Fragrance Flower

• Hardiness

  H4

• Aspect South-facing or West-facing or East-facing

• Exposure Sheltered

Soil

• 

  Loam

• MoistureWell-drained, Moist but well-drained
  

• SoilLoam
  

• pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
  

Size

• Ultimate height 1-1.5 metres

• Ultimate spread 1-1.5 metres

• Time to ultimate height 10-20 years

How to grow

Cultivation Best grown in a sheltered position in full sun or light dappled shade in well-drained, humus-rich loamy soil

Propagation Root greenwood and semi-ripe nodal stem-tip cuttings in summer in free-draining compost

Suggested planting locations and garden types Flower borders and beds Wall-side Borders City & Courtyard Gardens Coastal Cottage & Informal Garden Patio & Container Plants

Borderline

Lucky you! I can't comment on growing conditions, because I have never grown one. But, I do pass by one growing in clay soil on a very sunny west facing front garden. It's doing very well. At this time of year, the bark and branches stand out, even before the flowering begins.

Silver surfer

What a fabulous gift. Very generous.
One of my favourite shrubs..
Hence using it for my avatar.

https://www.flickr.com/search/[email protected]&sort=date-taken-desc&text=edgeworthia&view_all=1


It is like Hazel ...where the catkins start in the autumn but only in the spring do they grow.
Edgewothia flowers form and sit on the shrub all winter ...then they open in the spring.
Sadly far too cold for it up here.
The stems are so supple you can tie them in to a knot.
In China the bark is used to make high quality paper...at one time bank notes.
In Wales we used to grow it in a sheltered spot, semi shade, acid soil, full of leaf mould, moist but not wet.
 Would never give it manure./never fed it either.

There is also one with red flowers which we had.
No where near as beautiful as the yellow.

https://www.google.com/search?q=edgeworthia+red&client=firefox-b-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjt_9LHjLTnAhW9SRUIHa0gBNwQ_AUoAXoECA0QAw&biw=1920&bih=944

Paul B3

fidgetbones , Borderline & Silver surfer

Thankyou for your replies ; very much appreciated !

I have the ideal place for this in my garden ; a humus rich bed in which grow two more of my personal favourites ; Desfontainea spinosa and Crinodendron hookerianum .

Will extricate from the pot at the weekend , tease apart the roots and plant it out .

Thanks again !