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Thymelaeaceae FAMILY

Edgeworthia chrysantha

Edgeworthia chrysantha

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
GrowthSlow

Edgeworthia chrysantha is native to the warm temperate zone of souhern China, where it can be found at elevations up to 1,600 metres. Reports vary on cold tolerance, but it seems that the plant can tolerate occasional short-lived periods with temperatures falling to around -5 to -15°c[1, 2]. The spring flowers and young leaves are less hardy, and more susceptible to frost damage, so in areas subject to early spring frosts the plant is best grown in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[3]. The plant succeeds in any soil in sun or part shade[4, 2, 5], growing well in light woodland[5]. It prefers a well-drained soil with plenty of moisture in the growing season[6, 5]. Plants resent root disturbance and should be put into their permanent positions as soon as possible[3]. This species is cultivated in Japan and Korea for the bark fibre that is made into a high class paper[6, 1, 7]. The stems are harvested every second year in one report[8], every three years according to another[9]. The flowers diffuse a pronounced clove-like perfume and will scent the air to some distance on a calm day[10]. This species is very closely related to and scarcely distinct from Edgeworthia gardneri[5].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Place the pot in a plastic bag to keep it moist[4]. The seed might germinate in the spring, though it could take another 12 months. Stored seed usually requires 8 - 12 weeks warm stratification at 20°c followed by 12 - 14 weeks at 3°c[4]. Germination can still take 12 months or more at 15°c[4]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle, and grow on in a greenhouse for at least a year before planting out in late spring or early summer[4]. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings in spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[5]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Edgeworthia+chrysantha>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  2. [2]Shrubs. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30258-2 ↩︎Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1,900 species and cultivars.
  3. [3]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  4. [4]Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1991 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Corydalis spp.
  5. [5]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  6. [6]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  7. [7]Plantae Wilsonae. Vol 1 - 3 — Wilson. E. H. · University Press; Cambridge. · 1911 - 1917 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
  8. [8]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  9. [9]Khartasia — Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation des Collections; Paris · 2020 (Accessed) · http://khartasia-crcc.mnhn.fr/en ↩︎A website containing information on almost 100 species (as of March 2020) of fibre-producing plants that are used in paper making in eastern Asia. An excellent and developing resource.
  10. [10]Scented Flora of the World. — Genders. R. · Robert Hale. London. · 1994 · ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
  11. [11]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  12. [12]Medicinal Plants of China — Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. · Reference Publications, Inc. · 1985 · ISBN 0-917256-20-4 ↩︎Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
  13. [13]Flora of Japan. (English translation) — Ohwi. G. · Smithsonian Institution · 1965 · ISBN - ↩︎The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
  14. [14]Plant Fibres for Papermaking. — Bell. L. A. · Liliaceae Press · 1988 · ISBN - ↩︎A good practical section on how to make paper on a small scale plus details of about 75 species (quite a few of them tropical) that can be used.
  15. [15]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.