Winter Flowering Plants/Shrubs

I was thinking of planting some winter flowering plants and shrubs. From watching a local TV show recently I got some good ideas but now I was hoping ya'll would have a good source you could recommend for some of the following.

Edgeworthia chrysantha paperbush
(Yellow flowers bloom late winter/early spring.)

Hellebores (any kind.)
By the way, there is no entry in the Database for these. Anyone grow these? If so can you put in a pic/info please?

Witchhazel (Hamamelis intermedia)
Preferably “Diane” and “Jelena” (fragrant flowers)

Quince
“Jet Trail” white, low-growing

Daphne odora “Aureomarginata” (very fragrant)
Daphne birkwoodi (Not as fragrant as above)

Contorted Filbert Grown for its twisty branches.

Any good mail order nursuries you've personally dealt with that you'd recommend? Or could perhaps suggest to me that may appear in the Garden Watchdog?

Actually, there's eight entries in the Plant Database for Helleborus, so you might want to check them out.

AHA! Thanks, JKom...it looks like I spelled it wrong then, and that's why nothing came up.

Much obliged!

This message was edited Feb 4, 2004 6:36 PM

You're welcome! I love hellebores, such great plants for winter bloom yet they can take our hot dry summers too. And pest free--perfect!

Shoe... I have a contorted filbert that our Buyers are letting me dig up in spring. Last fall, I stripped a low branch and pegged it to the ground. If it has rooted when I dig my bush, you are welcome to have it.

What I don't know, though: My bush is obviously grafted. I don't know if that is typical, or why it's done, or if it makes any difference.

They are wonderful in winter, and IMO fairly unattractive in summer. Japanese Beetles love them, and can really do a number on the leaves.

Great! Thanks darius!

I didn't know they were grafted trees, either. Maybe I can find out what they are grafted onto.

The Jap Beetles tend to come in waves here, some yrs bad, other years not so bad. No matter to me, I've never seen them actually kill a plant, they just like to "ugly-ize" 'em!

Shoe, remind me around the first part of April, ok?

Will do! Thanks.

Most contorted filberts (Corylus avellana 'Contorta' aka Harry Lauder's Walking Stick) are grafted because that is the easiest way to propagate the plant. If you get a grafted plant you will be forever removing the "normal" growth that grows from the understock. If you are going to buy a plant, make sure it is on its own roots. This plant is difficult to root.

I purchased my plant, on its own roots, from Heronswood Nursery. Heronswood has the plant listed in their catalog this year (the plants are not available every year) for $15.00. Even the roots of the plant are contorted.

Here's a link to the Heronswood web site:

http://www.heronswood.com/

This plant does just fine for me in USDA zone 4a (-25°F to -30°F)
Good luck,
Mike

treelover... In the 5-6 years I've had my contorted filbert I have only had ONE sucker from below the graft, and I think that was because the mounded dirt up to the graft washed away, exposing some of the rootstock. Mine is in a mounded raised bed.