Corylopsis pauciflora

This delightful plant puts on its show after the winter-flowering shrubs have finished and before most spring ones have started into flower. Ready to come into full bloom with a couple of warm days, Corylopsis pauciflora is an eye-catching little shrub at the steps going down to the Water Garden, opposite a weigela bed. It is covered in pale yellow, scented flowers, 2 to 3 in each raceme, hanging from slender stems. The leaves appear after the flowers and are at first coppery pink. The other members of this genus have more flowers per raceme, hence the species name ‘pauciflora’ or few-flowers.

Robert Fortune introduced C. pauciflora into cultivation in 1860. It grows wild in scrub and forest edge in Japan and Taiwan, though in Taiwan it is endangered.