Edgeworthia chrysantha, the curious knot plant

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Edgeworthia chrysantha, today we’re talking about her. Don’t be scared by the name, it is not a particularly complex plant, that name is due to Michael Pakenham Edgeworth, its classifier!
It must be said, however, that it has some rather curious aspects.

Imagine a fragrant contortionist who is super resistant and immune to diseases and parasites.
Well, this strange character would certainly be the human version of Edgeworthia chrysantha. At least we hope that, if it really exists in the world, it has a more pronounceable name than its botanical alter ego.

In any case, there are always nicknames. In Italy, Edgeworthia is called «St. Joseph’s staff», probably in reference to its flowering which occurs around mid-March, the period in which the feast of St. Joseph (19 March) is celebrated. If calling it a «stick» seems unflattering to you then know that it also goes by the name of «paper shrub»; this nickname, also used by the English in the variant «paperbush» («paper bush»), is instead due to thehigh use of its bark to produce paper.

EDGEWOTHIA CHRYSANTHA

Edgeworthia chrysantha, part of the Thymelaeaceae family, originates in eastern and southern China and Burma. The first countries where this particular plant began to spread were, towards the end of the 16th century, Japan and Korea and, much more recently, it also arrived in the American territories, while it entered Europe in 1845.

It’s a deciduous shrub (this means it loses its leaves during the cold winter period) that it reaches an average of one and a half meters in height. Although it loses its leaves with the arrival of the cold season, in late winter or early spring, its branches are colored with small scented cream-colored flowers, grouped together, which make it an extremely beautiful plant in any season you observe it.

Returning to the previous analogy, the figure of the contortionist was not chosen by chance, in fact the branches of the edgeworthia are so flexible that it is possible to bend them until they knot without causing any damagefor this reason it is also called «knot plant».

A WINTER SURPRISE

We spoke to you not long ago about calicanto, a beautiful plant whose winter flowers resemble the shape of the sun, but today we would like to focus on the flowering and characteristics of edgewothia. Its little flowers (which bloom from January until the end of March) are small but manage to release an intense and very pleasant scent and, instead of blooming individually, these grow in a bunch, as if to support themselves, furthermore they are covered by a light white down which will make them look like pom poms scattered on the branches.

It’s a really sweet plant, halfway between celebrating the arrival of the next warm weather thanks to its colors tending towards yellow, orange or creamy white and when remembering the joy of winter, almost as if the bouquets brought to mind the baubles of a festive Christmas tree.

Furthermore, it also has a beautiful shape, rounded and full of branches which, in a rather unique way for angiosperms (more complex plants, with a true flower and a protected seed), is always ready to give touches of color through the flowers or, in the warmer months, with very green oval leaves that peep out in late spring. Its shape is sinuous, intertwined, at times fascinating in its particularity. Furthermore, this plant also produces reddish fruits, often hidden by the remains of the flowers.

GROWING EDGEWORTHIA CHRYSANTHA

Let’s move on to the operational phase! The edgeworthia it can be grown both in the ground and in potsin general it is quite resistant but you need to keep an eye in particular during periods of frost and water stagnation.

EXPOSURE

It prefers cool summers and not too harsh winters, but survives without any problems. Whether you place it in full sun or in partial shade, it will cope!

TEMPERATURE

It is true that edgeworthia can cope with the elements of the weather, however it doesn’t like excessive coldif the temperature drops below 0 it is advisable to move it or repair it with fabrics or other covering materials for potted plants. For those in the garden it will be sufficient to mulch at the base of the tuft with straw and dry leaves.

LAND

The ideal for her is to use a well-draining soil for acidophiles, based on peat. The soil must however be rich in organic substances and, if a little reluctant to drain, it is better to integrate it with sandy and gravelly elements.

IRRIGATION

Edgeworthia chrysantha is very thirsty in spring and summer and requires frequent wateringjust before the soil dries out. She would be really happy if you steamed her hair every summer evening to keep it fresher and more humid. In winter, however, it will be necessary to give it to drink much more sparingly and only when the earth is completely dry. Avoid water stagnation.

FERTILIZATION

This plant should be fertilized in spring and autumn with a fertilizer for acidophilic plants. If you prefer a liquid fertilizer, this should be diluted in water and given more frequently, more or less every two months. In any case, the most suitable fertilizers are generic ones for flowering plants, even better if they contain nitrogen and potassium which will help the plant to flower abundantly and colorfully.

PRUNING

It is not necessary to prune the edgeworthia chrysantha, just remove the damaged dry branches and perhaps in order to keep it tidy or limit its size, you can proceed to cut some protruding branches.

PITFALLS

The plant, as we mentioned before, it does not get sick easily and is very resistant to parasites! Be careful though, it doesn’t like to be moved very much and, due to water stagnation, mold or rot could occur in the roots, so be careful when watering it.

PROPAGATION

Edgeworthia can be propagated in 2 ways: through cuttings or, in autumn, by dividing the tufts.

PLANT

You purchased your Edgeworthia chrysantha but it is now too tight in a pot and, instead of repotting it, you have decided to move it to the garden. But you heard that its roots are quite delicate and therefore you are interested in knowing how to do it. No problem, we’ll explain it to you!

First of all, it is good to know that the ideal period to carry out these operations is at the end of winter, in order to favor vegetative growth with the arrival of spring. Prepare a large, deep hole, at least double the size of the pot the plant was in before and… that’s it. That’s all. All that remains for you to do is take the plant and plant it in the hole created, carefully of course, so as not to cause any damage to the root system.

EDGEWORTHIA, A VALUE PLANT

Well yes! Edgeworthia chrysantha is a plant widely used to produce high-value paper, in every sense! In fact, if you have ever happened to go to Japan or hold their official currency, the Yen, you know that you have touched paper made from this plant.

Instead if you go to China you can find edgeworthia in its entirety in the field of traditional medicine: the bark and roots are valuable for their anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, while the buds are used to treat some eye diseases.

THE EDGEWORTHIA OF LE GEORGICHE NURSERY

In our nurseries we keep 3 varieties of this shrub, all medium in size, with a delicate fragrance and perfect as isolated specimens, in rock gardens or woodland gardens, in small hedges and in borders.

Here we are at the end of the show dedicated to our edgeworthia chrysantha, do you want to know anything else? Don’t hesitate to contact us!