With the temperature drop in November in China, you might be surprised to find some sweetly scented yellow blossoms bloom vividly in the branches as if the cold doesn't affect them. This is the wintersweet, a special sweet that only belongs to winter.
Flower buds of wintersweet in Beijing's winter. /VCG Photo
Wintersweet is a flowering shrub that's native to China. The Chinese name of it means "plum in wax" as the bright yellow color is similar to the color of pure wax. This plant is famous for its attractive, bowl-shaped flowers with sweet fragrance that bloom on naked branches in winter. As a popular ornamental plant in China, the wintersweet shrubs are also cultivated in countries like Japan, Europe and the United States.
Bowl-shaped flowers of wintersweet blooming against the blue sky. /VCG Photo
Wintersweet usually blooms from November to March. Its blooming period will be affected by the winter temperatures.
Wintersweet flowers blooming in snow outside the Forbidden Palace in Beijing, China. /VCG Photo
If you hope to plant wintersweet shrub in your garden, there are few things you need to prepare. First, save a big space for the shrub to grow. Wintersweet is a full sun lover, and can do best in well-drained soils with average moisture. Do not need to worry about the pest, disease and temperature change too much, as the plant is very hardy. However, the plant does take a few years to start to flower, so the waiting time is relatively long.
Blossoming wintersweet. /VCG Photo
(All images via VCG)
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