Shrubs/Tree for Winter

Today my dh and I went shopping for a tree to mark the corner of a particular garden. We want it to stay about 15-20' or so without pruning. Another criteria is that it have winter interest.

We looked at and was very interested in the Tea Olive, but there appears to be only one kind, and it gets 25' and 8' wide. Too big. Is there anything else similar with a good fragrance?

My second choice then would be one of the Witchhazels, particularly Arnold Promise. They don't appear to be at our local nursery now, but I was told to look again in 2 months.

Does anyone here have an opinion on the choices above, or maybe another choice to consider?

Thanks so much,
Carmen

Carmen, so many of us envy your zone! There are many native plants that can grow there, and I hope you will consider them (or their cultivars) before reaching out to something else. Native witchhazel is certainly a good choice, at least for early winter, but the hybrids all bloom in late winter or early spring. Another possibility might be the dwarf river birch (Fox Valley, marketed as Little King). A well-grown smoketree (Cotinus obovatus) or dwarf hackberry (Celtis tenuifolia) or sumac (Rhus spp.) can be terrific in winter too. If you don't mind going non-native, there are things like crape myrtle. Some of our southeastern members surely can help you come up with a good shopping list.

Guy S.

For winter interest do you want blooms or berries? Or would attractive bark be enough? I'm going to get a Chionanthus virginicus a.k.a. Grancy Graybeard or fringetree. According to my books, it blooms in May and has some fragrance and the bark is pretty for wintertime. Abt. 15 - 20 ft. high.

I have 3 Little Gem magnolias that are pretty year round but the scent of the blooms doesn't carry.
Sherry

At this point I want blooms. I have a Little Gem, but it doesn't bloom in the winter. I have plenty of berry bushes/trees - we just cut down 4 hollies, two of which were there. I want to look out of my kitchen window in the morning when I don't want to go outside and see flowers. I remember for the last 6 years when my Autumn Flowering Cherry had blooms on it everyday unless the temps dropped below 20. I smiled everytime I saw them, and I'd like that smile back again.

How about a winter-blooming camellia? C. sansanqua 'Yuletide' has fragrant red blooms in December, and is in the height range you're looking for.

Wow, I have never heard of an Autumn Flowering Cherry but it sounds great! I may have to change my mind abt what I'm planting! Is it fragrant? I can never smell the camellias that are supposed to be fragrant.

Sherry

I love camellias, and have several. The reds are my favorite. Thanks for the suggestion.

Sherry, the cherry flowers may be fragrant, but the flowers are high up in the tree, so I've never tried to smell them. Now, don't get me wrong, the tree is not in full spring bloom all winter long, but it does have quite a few beautiful pink blooms all winter. Then, when all the other cherries are in full bloom, this one does, too. What a great tree!

pins:

If you are considering witchhazel, pick anyone BUT 'Arnold Promise'. It is the last to bloom (with forsythia, so what's the point) and performs relatively poorly in the south according to many southern plantsmen who have used it and others. You would be better served with one of the hybrid selections of Hamamelis x intermedia, or an exceedingly fragrant Hamamelis mollis like 'Wisley Supreme'. The vernal or Ozark witchhazel Hamamelis vernalis mentioned above is also a fine plant for mid to late winter bloom, though the fragrant flowers are generally diminutive and often hidden by persistent marcescent foliage. Here's a site to read up on a variety of choices: http://www.fairweathergardens.com/pages/witchhazel.php

I'd second the camellia suggestion, but have no experience here with the genus. Other worthwhile plants to consider for winter flowering (but without extended bloom periods) include Chimonanthus, Corylopsis, and Cornus mas/C. officinalis.

Problem with camellias is that they need shade. I have a few around the yard and they really stand out in the winter. If you go with a sansanqua camellia it will get big 10 ft or so nad flower like mad early in the winter. Pins doesn't want that so I'm getting off topic.

How about mahonia x media 'winter sun', loropetalum.

I'll have to check it out. I love loropetalum and just bought the razzle-dazzle one, or one with similar name. Can't think of the name, but it has loud, obnoxious pink flowers in spring and lime colored leaves. I love it! :-0

Here's another for you viburnum V. grandiflorum, loses it's leaves but flowers all winter long on bare stems. White flowers if that makes a difference. Your to good at this gardening stuff I'm really going to have to pull something out of my hat here.

Here's another, I think these will get more like 8 ft tall even though the plant file said 4-6. Nice smell but small flowers, not sure if that would do it for you. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/400/index.html