Plant of the Month: Edgeworthia chrysantha (February 2026)

So far February 2026 has been very wet, with heavy and prolonged downpours, which has restricted everyone’s garden visits, including mine. So I’ve had help this month from Ali H (many thanks) in seeking out winter-flowering specimens that are looking at their finest at the moment and hopefully will be of interest to you.

Originating from China and the Himalayan regions, Edgeworthia chrysantha is related to the Daphne family and I am not surprised as the flower clusters are extremely fragrant. They appear on the tips of bare stems in late winter, then in spring covered in foliage, consisting of attractive slender leaves, making a nice rounded shape to fit within planting schemes.

Whilst exploring RHS Wisley, Beckenham Place Park and Horniman gardens, Ali came across several specimens, including the orange-flowered Edgeworthia ‘Red Dragon’. These choice shrubs like growing in sheltered locations, receiving full sun and are also happy in partial shade.

At Kew Gardens (on a dry day!) I also came across a very attractive specimen located in the Woodland garden, adjacent to the Princess of Wales Conservatory.  A wood-chip pathway meanders through the trees, enabling the visitor to get up-close to the thickly-planted, spring flowering plants, including the Edgeworthia in full bloom and emitting its gorgeous fragrance.  The beds were thickly mulched which is what these suckering shrubs like. Once settled in, they grow quite fast, with the variety ‘Grandiflora’ growing to approximately 1.5m.

As the name indicates, the ‘Paper Bush’ was once used for paper-making in Japan, as the stems peel with age.

Anna L