Edgeworthia chrysantha - Yellow Daphne
The generic (Genus) name Edgeworthia is named after 19th-century botanist Michael Pakenham Edgeworth (1812-1881) who, despite owning a huge estate in Ireland, worked for the East India Company and lived in India, and for his sister writer Maria Edgeworth who was a prolific writer of adult and children’s books.
Edgeworth's passion was botany and as an amateur botanist being based in India enabled him to travel into the Himalayas. He was a friend of Charles Darwin and William Griffith, a senior Indian botanist of the day. Edgeworth contributed to Griffith's collections, and was held in high esteem, enough to have two plants named after him.
Edgeworthia belongs to the Daphne family, Thymelaeaceae.
Edgeworthia chrysantha
Research on international databases shows that this is now the accepted name for Edgeworthia papyrifera, Edgeworthia papyrifera 'Grandiflora', Edgeworthia tomentosa, Edgeworthia grandiflora and E chrysantha. It is found in China, Nepal and Japan.
Papyrifera means paper referencing the inner bark of both species which is used for making high-grade paper including hand-made tissue and banknotes. Chrysantha means golden yellow, which is an accurate description of the flower colour. Grandiflora means large flowered.
Flowering in early spring the tight heads of many individual yellow flowers are borne at the tips of the branchlets. In late winter they slowly become larger until the first flowers open. The flowers on the outside edge open first and there is a slow show as each tubular flower opens to be followed by more from the centre. The first flowers die off so the whole flower head is unlikely to be open at once. The scent is lovely and great to have in spring.
It is hardy throughout NZ and the deciduous thick, fleshy looking stems are rich dark brown and look interesting. Usually it grows bout 1.2m high and makes a tidy, rounded bush. The leaves follow the flowers.
The grey green leaves are long and somewhat boat shaped with many leaves appearing covering the whole bush.
Plant them in the sun or light shade and they will do well in either place.
It is easily pruned to keep into shape as the stems are reasonably soft and many lateral buds at the base of a stem will grow quite quickly. Often these basal shoots can be trained and used to replace older branches that are past their best.
Edgeworth's passion was botany and as an amateur botanist being based in India enabled him to travel into the Himalayas. He was a friend of Charles Darwin and William Griffith, a senior Indian botanist of the day. Edgeworth contributed to Griffith's collections, and was held in high esteem, enough to have two plants named after him.
Edgeworthia belongs to the Daphne family, Thymelaeaceae.
Edgeworthia chrysantha
Research on international databases shows that this is now the accepted name for Edgeworthia papyrifera, Edgeworthia papyrifera 'Grandiflora', Edgeworthia tomentosa, Edgeworthia grandiflora and E chrysantha. It is found in China, Nepal and Japan.
Papyrifera means paper referencing the inner bark of both species which is used for making high-grade paper including hand-made tissue and banknotes. Chrysantha means golden yellow, which is an accurate description of the flower colour. Grandiflora means large flowered.
Flowering in early spring the tight heads of many individual yellow flowers are borne at the tips of the branchlets. In late winter they slowly become larger until the first flowers open. The flowers on the outside edge open first and there is a slow show as each tubular flower opens to be followed by more from the centre. The first flowers die off so the whole flower head is unlikely to be open at once. The scent is lovely and great to have in spring.
It is hardy throughout NZ and the deciduous thick, fleshy looking stems are rich dark brown and look interesting. Usually it grows bout 1.2m high and makes a tidy, rounded bush. The leaves follow the flowers.
The grey green leaves are long and somewhat boat shaped with many leaves appearing covering the whole bush.
Plant them in the sun or light shade and they will do well in either place.
It is easily pruned to keep into shape as the stems are reasonably soft and many lateral buds at the base of a stem will grow quite quickly. Often these basal shoots can be trained and used to replace older branches that are past their best.