Brighten up your winter garden with the fragrant golden flowers of the paperbush shrub.
Paperbush will add much-needed color to thewinter gardenwith its extremely fragrant, unique white and yellow flowers.
The flowers have a waxy appearance and last for weeks, attracting early-season pollinators to the garden.
Credit:YUYA KIKUCHI / Getty Images
Extend the flowering season in your garden with thiseasy-care, low-maintenance shrub.
Consider a location near a window, or with a backdrop of evergreens to highlight the winter flowers.
Ensure that the bottom of the hole is firm, or the plant may settle in subsequent seasons.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Backfill with the soil you removed from the hole.
This will allow the plant to quickly become established in the native soil.
The location should receive morning sun, or filtered sunlight throughout the day.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
Avoid direct midday sun.
Protect paperbush from dry winter winds to ensure a prolific flower display in mid- to late winter.
Paperbush grown in cooler climates will generally tolerate more sunlight than plants grown closer to the equator.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Either way, paperbush needs sunlight to bloom, but may not thrive in full sun conditions.
Soil and Water
Paperbush grows best inwell-drained soilswith a slightly acidic to neutral pH.
Average garden soil rich in humus is ideal.
This plant requires regular water throughout the growing season, but will not grow in perpetually wet soil.
Allow the water to dissipate before watering again.
Consider planting paperbush where it will receive reflected heat from surrounding structures or hardscapes in especially cold climates.
Fertilizer
Paperbush does not require additional fertilizer when grown in average garden soil.
A yearlyapplication of compostspread around the root zone is enough for a healthy plant.
Pruning
Paperbush shrubsdo not respond well to aggressive pruning.
Generally, paperbush plants are uniform growers and do not need shaping to maintain a pleasing form.
Growing Paperbush in Pots
Paperbush shrubs are not good candidates for growing in planters.
Provide the plant with regular moisture and keep it out of direct sunlight.
Be sure to place the planter in a protected area in cold climates.
Pests and Problems
Paperbush is usually free of major pests and diseases.
Paperbush plants will often develop new shoots emerging from the ground throughout the root zone.
As these shoots mature they can transition an attractive and rounded shrub into a wild-looking thicket.
In spring or early autumn, choose a sucker that is growing towards the outside of the plant.
Transplant the sucker to a new location and water regularly for the remainder of the season.
Another option is to take stem cuttings in summer.
It can reportedly tolerate temperatures below 0F.
It is a good selection for homeowners with limited space.
Red Dragon (syn.
Akebono) Paperbush
Edgeworthia chrysanthaRed Dragon flowers are dark-orange to an orangish-red, reportedly varying with the temperature.
This difficult-to-source selection grows to 6 feet tall and wide.
Paperbush Companion Plants
Barrenwort
Barrenworts(Epimediumspp.)
are an excellent choice for a semi-woody groundcover in areas with little direct sunlight.
The spring blooms will extend the flowering season around your paperbush with tiny flowers that invite closer inspection.
Holly
Evergreen types of holly(Ilexspp.)
provide a darker backdrop that helps spotlight the bright paperbush flowers in winter.
Both plants provide excellent winter interest thanks to oakleaf hydrangeas bark and paperbushs flowers.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the past, scientists differentiated betweenE.
papyriferais no longer considered a separate species and is now an accepted synonym ofE.
However, some argue thatE.
chrysanthais a larger, more robust plant with better cold tolerance and more fragrant flowers and suggest thatE.
papyriferais all-around smaller and more delicate in appearance, with thinner leaves and a less intense fragrance.
