By Jim Midcap
University of Georgia
Spring dashes in like a lion and seems to disappear nearly as
fast. But while it’s here, the succession of flowering trees and
shrubs provides an array of color and fragrance to enjoy.
Each day there’s something new. Each year, special plants appear
that would look great in my own garden. This year, I kept a list.
Winter hazel (Corylopsis). The winter hazels are
mid-size to large shrubs with fragrant, late-winter to
early-spring blooms. The dainty, pale-yellow flowers hang down 1
to 3 inches at each node on the branches.
The plants prefer organic, acid soils in partial shade. The
buttercup winter hazel (Corylopsis pauciflora), is
smaller, reaching only 4 to 6 feet tall.
Winter daphne (Daphne odora). The winter daphne
forms a broad mound covered with dark green, evergreen leaves.
Rosy purple buds open into pink flowers from January to early
March. Clusters of tiny flowers cover the ends of every branch,
and a spicy fragrance fills the garden.
Old plants can get 3 to 4 feet tall and slightly wider. Plant
them in partial shade on well-drained sites. It doesn’t tolerate
poor drainage.
Redleaf Chinese loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense var.
rubrum). The flowering, redleafed loropetalums were
spectacular this spring. The reddish pink flowers covered the
plants for three to four weeks. The new growth comes out purplish
red, with a few extra flowers thrown in.
These evergreen plants are adapted to sun or shade. They’re
drought-tolerant and pest-free. They get 8 to 15 feet tall and
nearly as wide. But all can be pruned to maintain the desired
height and form. Ruby is the smallest, while the hardy “Zhuzhou
Fuschia” grows into a multistem tree.
Piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens). This
native, deciduous azalea shows up along stream banks in late
March and early April. The reddish purple buds and pink flowers
jump out of the woods to grab you before the forest canopy
develops.
These fragrant azaleas grow 6 to 10 feet tall and just as wide.
They’re at home as understory plants but will grow in full sun
with enough moisture. The early flowers and fragrance make them a
delight in the garden.
Chinese snowball viburnum (Viburnum macrocephalum
sterile). This beautiful viburnum has flower clusters 6 to 10
inches across, all sterile, turning from apple green to pure
white. Since no fruit develops, the early-spring flowering lasts
six to eight weeks.
Plant them in full sun for the best flowering, but they do OK in
partial shade. They prefer acid soils and good drainage. Plants
grow to 12 to 15 feet but can be cut back to control their size.
They usually develop scattered flowers in the fall.
Doublefile viburnum (Viburnum plicatum var.
tomentosum). These are aristocrats in the garden. The
graceful, horizontal branches are covered with clusters of white
flowers in spring. A double row runs down each branch, with
large, sterile flowers circling the outside of each cluster.
The dark green leaves are deeply veined and usually turn wine red
in the fall. Summer brings a good fruit set that turns cherry red
and then black. This viburnum isn’t drought-tolerant. You’ll have
to give it water in the summer. But they do well in sun or
partial shade and reach 8 to 15 feet tall.
These are outstanding additions to any garden. You may have to
search the nurseries and garden centers to find them.
(Jim Midcap is an Extension Service horticulturist with the
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.)
