General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Shrub
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 6b -20.6 °C (-5 °F) to -17.8 °C (0 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 9b
Plant Height: 10-15 feet
Plant Spread: 8-12 feet
Leaves: Fragrant
Fruit: Showy
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Yellow
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Late winter or early spring
Uses: Provides winter interest
Pollinators: Various insects

Image
Common names
  • Fragrant Wintersweet Tree
  • Japanese Allspice
  • Wintersweet

Photo Gallery
Location: My Garden of Good and Evil
Date: 2023-01-22

Date: 1800-05
illustration [as Calycanthus præcox] by P. J. Redouté from Duha
Location: My Garden of Good and Evil
Date: 2023-01-22
Location: JC Raulston  Arboretum, Raleigh NC
Date: 2024-03-08
Location: Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England UK 
Date: 2015-06-12
Chimonanthus praecox
Location: New Zealand
Date: 2015-06-30
Location: Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Date: 2013-2-4
Location: Nationale Plantentuin (Meise - Brussel - Belgium)
Location: Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England UK 
Date: 2014-10-17
Chimonanthus praecox
Location: Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England UK 
Date: 2023-01-30
Chimonanthus praecox
Location: Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Date: 2022-01-10
Location: Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England
Date: 2015-01-10
Wintersweet in my garden
Uploaded by SRMc207

Photo courtesy of Joy Creek Nursery
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Nationale Plantentuin (Meise - Brussel - Belgium)
Location: Nationale Plantentuin (Meise - Brussel - Belgium)
Location: Mercer Botanical Garden  Houston, Tx
Date: 2014-05-19
Location: Mercer Botanical Garden  Houston, Tx
Date: 2014-05-19
Location: Mercer Botanical Garden  Houston, Tx
Date: 2014-05-19
Location: My garden in N E Pa.
Location: Gent, Belgium
Date: 2013-01-10
Location: Gent, Belgium
Date: 2013-01-10
Location: Gent, Belgium
Date: 2013-01-10
Location: Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England
Date: 2015-01-10
Wintersweet shrub in my garden
Uploaded by SRMc207

photo credit: H. Zell
Location: Gent, Belgium
Date: 2013-01-10

photo credit: H. Zell
Comments:
  • Posted by sallyg (central Maryland - Zone 7b) on Sep 29, 2019 7:32 PM concerning plant:
    Wintersweet is a fast growing, large, rangy shrub. Give it plenty of room! The scent is powerful, however, winter weather can interfere with the show, cold wet weather can quickly ruin the small flowers. Easy to grow from seed, that is how I got mine. Fall leaf color is yellow.
    I grew the straight species from seed and had the shrub some years until it outgrew its space. Meanwhile I grew a double-flowered improved one from seed also, and still have that one. It is blooming late January into February (2021). Flowers are the same size as species, certainly not the 1-2 inches listed on the 'Luteus'. But the flowers on this are double, seem a little sturdier, and seem to have more buds than the species. Still, bud count could be location difference (more sun.)
    2024 update- still doing well, more flowers each year, and this year they are lasting quite a while (weeks).

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