Five spring-flowering shrubs

Five spring-flowering shrubs

Emerging as the days become longer and the temperatures warmer, the blossoming of spring-flowering shrubs is a welcome sight after the austere twiggyness of winter. Arriving at just the right time to complement spring bulbs and early-flowering herbaceous perennials such as scillas, primroses and pulmonaria, they add to the sense of hope and renewal that pervades at this time of year. While many aren’t evergreen, they have the advantage of providing some structure over winter and, in the right conditions, a place for mosses and lichens to settle and grow. Several bloom before their foliage appears and the flowers seem particularly striking set against the bare wood, highlighting their colour and form.

All the plants described below are deciduous so will lose their leaves in winter. They flower on the previous year’s growth, so pruning, if needed, should be carried out straight after the blossoms fade and fall. This allows time for plenty of wood to develop for the following year. They may not be available in all our stores but there are usually plenty of alternatives and our friendly staff will be happy to help.

Chaenomeles (flowering or Japanese quince)

Differing from the true quince (Cydonia oblonga), flowering quinces are primarily ornamental and grown for their elegant cup-shaped flowers. These appear on bare wood or as companions to fresh new leaves. Chaenomeles do sometimes produce smallish, golden or green, quince-like fruit after flowering although these aren’t as fragrant and tasty as true quince. They can, however, be boiled up to make an acceptable jelly.  Delia Smith Quince Jelly Recipe | British Chefs Table The RHS warns that the seeds of chaenomeles are toxic and should not be eaten, however, so remove them before you begin cooking!

Tough and undemanding, happy in full sun or part shade, chaenomeles can be grown to stand alone or trained as a wall shrub. Their thorny branches mean that if pruned to grow densely they provide a safe and welcoming nesting habitat for birds. The flowers are generally open in form so easily accessible to bees.

Chaenomeles japonica grows to approximately 1m x 2m. Its blossoms are usually deep coral or scarlet but C. japonica ‘Jet Trail’ has snow-white flowers.

Chaenomeles speciosa is a larger plant reaching about 2-3m tall if unpruned. ‘Kinshiden’ has pale, sherbet yellow flowers which are semi-double but are still fairly open in form, ‘Moerloosei’ has rose pink buds opening to pale pink or white flowers, pleasingly similar to apple blossom. The blooms of ‘Geisha Girl’ are semi-double and pale apricot in colour.

Corylopsis (winter hazel)                                                                                                                       

With foliage reminiscent of our native hazel (hence the common name), the pale yellow or lemon flowers of corylopsis seem to glow against the bright blue of a cloudless spring sky. There are several, fairly similar, species. Flowering on bare wood, all are happiest in part-shade and have a glorious fragrance reminiscent of primroses. Plant by a path or door if you can where you’ll really appreciate the scent or cut a few twigs and place them in a vase. A spot close to the house will also provide some shelter from late frosts, which can damage the flowers.

1. pauciflora – short, perfumed racemes of yellow bell-like flowers and an open, spreading habit which allows the perfume to permeate the air around it. Flowers on bare wood and is fairly slow-growing, reaching about 1.5 x 2.5m.

1. sinensis – pendants of flowers and the bonus of fiery autumn leaf colour. Can grow to up to 4 x 4m.

1. glabrescens – longer cascades of flowers and a larger plant with a final height and spread of approximately 8 x 4m. The foliage has tints of orange and red in autumn.

Forsythia

A long-standing garden favourite, forsythias have delicate-looking, four-petalled, yellow blossoms which pop out on bare branches. Fast-growing, they do best in full sun but will tolerate some shade. Some will grow up to about 3m tall but they can be controlled to some degree by pruning. If space is limited though it’s best to opt for a smaller cultivar such as F. x intermedia ‘Mikador’ (up to 1x1m). Most have an arching growth habit but there are more upright forms, for instance F. x intermedia ‘Lynwood Variety’. These work well as part of a hedge, perhaps in combination with an evergreen such as Griselinia littoralis or discreetly flowering but powerfully perfumed Eleagnus x ebingei or E. pungens.

Ribes sanguineum (flowering currant)

One of my personal favourites, this relative of the blackcurrant has delightful deep pink buds hanging from bare stems and opening to star-like, paler pink flowers. These bee-magnets are sometimes followed by berries which are edible but not particularly palatable. They can, however, be used to make jam, jelly or cordial. Alternatively, you could save yourself the bother and leave them for the birds. The foliage is strongly aromatic, resembling blackcurrant tea with notes of sage. Flowering currant originates in North America and is used in some Native American remedies. Plant in full sun to part shade.

The species form can grow to about 3m tall but there are smaller cultivars, for instance R. sanguineum ‘Pulborough Scarlet’ (1.5 x 1.5m) or early flowering, white R. sanguineum ‘White Icicle’ (1.5 x 1.5m). Annual pruning will encourage bushy growth and more flowers as well as keeping size in check. Up to a third of the wood can be removed although cutting into old wood may reduce flowering the following year.

Viburnum carlseii

With its rounded, almost spherical heads of densely packed flowers, this is a high impact spring-flowering shrub. Its blooms begin as deep reddish pink buds which open to white. Bury your nose in them (looking out for early bees!) and inhale their heavenly, sweet, spicy perfume. Small, black, oval fruits follow and the leaves then become coppery red in autumn. Viburnum carlseii has a bushy, rounded shape which can be maintained by pruning. It’s at its best in full sun but will tolerate some shade and grows to approximately 2x2m. The cultivar ‘Aurora’ has pale pink flowers.

Other spring-flowering shrubs you might want to try include camellias for an early explosion of colour, scented daphnes, fragrant skimmias, starburst-flowered Magnolia stellata and rhodendendrons and azaleas with their warm, glowing hues. You’ll find more ideas here too: Spring-interest shrubs / RHS Gardening

These heralds of good things to come are tough and easy to grow, they provide us and our gardens with a heartening boost of colour and the rich, heady scent of some makes a spring walk around the garden an even more invigorating experience.