Wintersweet Shrubs
Sweetly fragrant shrubs that bloom in the heart of winter
Wintersweet shrubs are prized for one rare quality: they bloom in winter. When most landscape plants are dormant, wintersweet produces delicate yellow flowers along bare branches, filling the garden with a clean, sweet fragrance during the coldest months of the year.
These shrubs are deciduous and slow-growing, developing into graceful, open forms that work well as standalone focal plants or as part of a layered landscape design. The flowers appear from late winter into early spring, making wintersweet a natural choice for entryways, walkways, or areas near windows where the fragrance can be enjoyed up close.
Well adapted to temperate climates, wintersweet shrubs are cold-hardy and generally easy to maintain once established. They tolerate a range of soils with good drainage and perform best with full sun to partial shade. In California and much of the U.S., wintersweet is valued as a dependable winter interest plant that requires minimal seasonal care.
Whether you’re adding structure to a winter garden or looking for a fragrant accent during the quiet season, wintersweet shrubs offer beauty at a time when few plants do.
