SEATTLE — There are a number of shrubs that bloom with wonderfully fragrant flowers in winter and people aren't the only ones who love them. No one knows for sure if hummingbirds have a sense of smell, but the Anna's hummingbirds that over winter in Western Washington have no problem finding the nectar rich blooms on these wonderfully fragrant cold season bloomers.
The Anna's rely on these sweetly scented flowers as an important food source. If you're like me and travel in winter and can't hang a feeder in the cold season, you'll want to plant these wonderfully fragrant shrubs so your hummingbirds will have plenty to eat all winter long. Here are a few of my favorite fragrant winter blooming shrubs that smell terrific and feed my over wintering hummers.
Sarcococca ruscifolia (Sweet box): This is an attractive shade loving shrub that can reach 4 feet tall and wide. It features glossy, dark green evergreen leaves. Starting in late December it produces gazillions of amazingly fragrant small white vanilla-scented flowers. The fragrance is so strong, you can smell the fragrance from a large planting of them from a block away if the wind is blowing the right direction. One branch cut for indoor use will easily fill an entire house with its scent. Make sure to plant this member of the boxwood family in shade. Planted in sun the lovely dark green leaves turn an ugly yellow color.
Daphne odora (winter Daphne) is a low-growing evergreen shrub, rarely exceeding 4 feet tall. The variety 'Aureomarginata' has attractive yellow edging on the green leaves, while 'Daphne odora 'Zuiko Nishiki' has dark green leaves, but is considered to be a slightly hardier variety. The small, rosy-purple flowers produced in February and March are so fragrant, it's been scientifically proven that no one can smell one of its flowers without your socks rolling up and down. In very cold winters the leaves of 'aureomarginata' sometimes fall off, but the plant still blooms and the leaves will grow back. Daphne odoras are best planted where they receive morning sun in well-drained soil.
The only bad thing about these wonderfully fragrant shrubs is that they are relatively short lived. You're lucky if you get 20 years out of them. They always seem to die suddenly on the day you have a tour coming to see your garden. I think they do it for spite! If it dies plant another one. You and your overwintering Anna's hummingbirds can't live without a Daphne odora in your garden.
Hamamelis mollis and H. x intermedia (witch hazel) are the witch hazels.
These are small vase shaped trees. The most fragrant species is H. mollis and it can reach 20 feet tall, but most hybrids rarely exceed 12 feet tall. They produce an abundance of colorful spidery looking flowers on the bare branches in December, January and February. Depending on the variety flower color can be yellow, red or copper orange. The best time to buy a witch hazel is when it's in full-bloom, so you can do the sniff test. Although most have delicious fragrance, a few varieties have flowers that smell like a wet dog!
Edgeworthia chrysantha (paper bush or Japanese yen plant): This member of the Daphne family of plants is a shrub native to China and the Himalayas. This well-branched, well-formed shrub begins forming attractive silvery buds in late summer into fall that open in late January to reveal bright yellow flowers with a delightful gardenia-like fragrance. The flowers hang down with hummingbirds feeding practically non-stop from below. Edgeworthia thrives in partial shade and appreciates well-enriched, moist soil. In spring, after the blooms pass, it sports lovely bluish leaves with silvery undertones that are quite eye-catching. The foliage turns a nice yellow in the fall.
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.