Yellow Paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha)        

Late winter is when the flowers of deciduous trees and shrubs decorate the landscape. The bare branches are the perfect perches for the blooms. On cold days the buds are tightly closed, but on warm days they open wide to display the color and often fragrance of their winter flowers.
In the shade garden, pale yellow buds hang from the end of each bare stem of our new Yellow Paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha). The buds open to become bright yellow flowers. Each flower head is composed of 20 to 30 long tubular trumpets. When fully opened they form bright yellow dangling umbels at the end of each branch. It will definitely catch your eye. And they are fragrant.
When the foliage comes out, the narrow leaves are six inches long. They are deep green above and grey green below. When they fall off in the fall, they leave very distinctive leaf scars that decorate the bare stems in winter.
This shrub likes deep, moist, organic soil in a partially shady location. It has a slow to moderate growth rate and becomes a mound six to eight feet tall and wide. It comes from China where it was used to make high quality paper.
The Yellow Paperbush is a relative of the Winter Daphne (Daphne odora), another fragrant, winter blooming shrub. These cousins grow well in the same conditions and bloom in January through March. The most striking difference is that the Daphne is evergreen, so its flowers share their show with the beautiful foliage. The blossoms of the Paperbush have the show all to themselves. The nodding yellow heads really stand out at the end of each bare branch. It’s a sight you don’t want to miss. So come out to the Arboretum and see our Yellow Paperbush in the shade garden.

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