PLANTprofile

PLANTprofile

Paperbush

By Kathy Jentz

Paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha) has flowers that are fragrant and showy in the late winter landscape. The blooms resemble upside-down parasols and are long-lasting, often hanging in for six to eight weeks in the garden. The paperbush’s flaky, reddish-brown bark was used to make paper and is quite attractive. It is a plant of the woodland edge, often found growing along the banks of streams in its native habitats in China and the Himalayas. It prefers to be planted in dappled shade and well-drained soil. This shrub is not troubled by pests or diseases, and is longlived under favorable conditions. It is hardy to zones 7–10, although gardeners in zone 6 could attempt it if they can offer the paperbush a well-sheltered area.

Edgeworthia offers multi-season appeal. When fully leafed out, the shrub has a tropical appearance. In the fall, its leaves turn bright yellow before being shed. Most cultivated forms of paperbush are yellowflowering—a commonly available cultivar is ‘Gold Rush’—there are also reddish-orange-flowered varieties such for ‘Red Dragon’ and ‘Akebono’. o

Kathy Jentz is the editor and founder of Washington Gardener.

CELEBRATING THE 20TH SYMPOSIUM

DESIGNING WITH PURPOSE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023 | 9:30 AM–4 PM

Speakers will share their design strategies to achieve a range of sustainability goals in the landscape, from gardens resilient to climate change to those that have reduced carbon footprints. Explore innovative design and maintenance practices that bring visual order to naturalistic gardens that make them make them more palatable to neighbors and HOAs. Though these landscape goals may seem unrelated, they can all be achieved by selecting the right building materials, understanding plant communities, and leveraging creative plant combinations. Join us to learn how!

SEMINAR TOPICS

� Quest for Climate Resiliency: Adaptive Strategies for Sustainable Plant Design Laura Hansplant, landscape architect and co-owner at Studio Sustena � Soak it up: Carbon Sequestering Sites Pamela Conrad, landscape architect, founder of Climate Positive Design, and current Loeb Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Design � On This Land: Connecting Minority Communities to the Natural World Veronica Tyson-Strait, landscape designer, educator, artist, and Horticulture Manager at Randall’s Island Park Alliance � Unlawning Suburbia: Lessons in the Design and Management of Nature-Inspired Landscapes Benjamin Vogt, Author & Owner, Monarch Gardens

GreenScapes will be offered as a series of live online lectures using Zoom with audience Q&A incorporated into the program. Each session will be recorded and a link to watch the symposium will be emailed to all participants. Registration includes access to watch recordings of each session after the event. BrooksideGreen.org 301-962-1470

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

EARLY BIRD FEE: STANDARD FEE: $45/person until Jan 13, 2023 $55/person after Jan 14, 2023 Register using this link ActiveMontgomery.org (Course PBG0057) or call 301-962-1470.