Acer griseum
A beautiful small tree, with cinnamon coloured, flaking bark. Purposely planted in the Winter Garden so the peeling bark is backlit by the low winter sun. Introduced from China by Ernest Wilson in 1901.
Betula utilis subsp. albosinensis
A beautiful multi-stemmed tree with creamy white flushed with grey and pink peeling bark. We now know that this tree was propagated from an original introduction by Ernest Wilson from Western China in 1901 under the Collectors no. W4106 and has subsequently been given the cultivar name ‘China Ruby’.
Chimonanthus praecox ‘Grandiflorus’
Chinese Wintersweet. A medium sized deciduous shrub for a sunny position. Spicy scented, deep yellow, waxy flowers conspicuously stained with red at the base. Flowers are reasonably frost resistant. Flowering in January/February.
Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’
A vigorous suckering deciduous dogwood, with vivid pinky orange young stems. Hard pruned annually in spring to encourage young wood. Discovered in Germany around 1980.
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’
One of the best upright scented evergreen winter flowering shrubs, with magenta pink flowers in clusters filling the air with fragrance from late December to March. Raised by Alan Postill, propagator at Hilliers Nursery in the 1980s and named after his wife.
Galanthus ‘Magnet’
Galanthus – from the Greek, gala – milk, anthos – flower. ‘Magnet’ is a very old snowdrop cultivar raised by the famous snowdrop breeder, James Allen circa1888. It is easily recognized by its long arching pedicels (flower stalks) allowing the flowers to nod gracefully in the breeze. When the flowers are fully open, the 3 outer tepals are held nearly horizontal, the 3 inner tepals are longer and have a conspicuous inverted v shaped green mark at the base. Flowering January – March.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’
A hybrid witch hazel of Hamamelis japonica x Hamamelis mollis. ‘Jelena’ flowers are bright coppery orange, glowing in the low winter sun. This free flowering cultivar was raised at Kalmthout Arboretum in Belgium and named by M.M. de Belder after his wife. Flowers are frost resistant, opening in December-January.
Rubus thibetanus ‘Silver Fern’
Ghost bramble – a suckering deciduous shrub grown for its arching stems covered in myriads of tiny red bristles and a white bloom.
Salix alba var. vitellina ‘Britzensis’
Scarlet willow – pollarded annually in spring to produce numerous vigorous bright red stems for winter colour and structure.
Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’
A first class hybrid between Viburnum farreri and Viburnum grandiflorum. A large deciduous shrub with cerise pink scented flowers borne in clusters opening in milder spells throughout the winter months. Bred by Charles Lamont assistant curator at Edinburgh Botanic Garden in 1933.
