Japanese paperbush

Plant family

- others -

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Semi-shaded

Water requirement

Moist

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

Medium

Light germinator

Germination temperature

20 – 25 °C (Degrees Celsius)

Plant distance

100 cm

Row spacing

100 cm

Seeding depth

1 cm

Instructions

Description

The Japanese paper bush, also known as Mitsumata, is a useful and ornamental plant that originates from faraway China and Japan. It only achieved its current status as a world-famous shrub in the early 18th century. Not because of its beauty, however, but because of the extremely fine Japanese paper made from this bush. The fact that it not only has useful properties, but also an exclusive beauty, quickly became known and the Japanese paper bush became one of the most popular plantings in many gardens around the world. Despite this popularity, the plant is a rarity and is still rarely found in this country. Anyone who discovers this deciduous shrub for themselves will not want to part with it. The botanical name Edgeworthia chrysantha refers to Michael Pakenham Edgeworth (1812 - 1881), an Irish botanist. Especially in the British Empire and its famous garden culture, the Mitsumata soon became an integral part of many plantings and arrangements, whereby it quickly became apparent that its beauty is best shown to advantage in a single planting or in a pot. This beautiful deciduous shrub is an early-flowering plant. In mild winters, it brings the bright colors of spring to the garden in February and its white-yellow flowers encourage the viewer to be enchanted. It usually flowers from March to April, while its leaves remain lush green from spring to late summer. These turn bright shades of yellow in the fall and are shed towards winter. The Mitsumata is very hardy. Only the root area requires more attention. If this is well mulched, the small, spherical plant can withstand both heat in summer and late frost extremely well. If there is no rain for a long time and the soil becomes quite dry, the plant will enjoy sufficient watering. A sheltered spot in the garden is ideal, as the flower buds form in late summer and therefore survive the winter best.

Growing tips

Planting in a pot is recommended precisely because of its early flowering period, as it then remains mobile and can be transported directly to a safe place at the first signs of frost. For shorter periods of frost, it is sufficient to cover the top soil in the pot with fir branches or fleece to prevent the soil from freezing. The leaves and flowers of the Oriental paper bush are extremely hardy. It is the roots that really don't like the cold at all, whereby the temperature change between the night frost and the warm daytime temperatures must primarily be mitigated. Conventional garden soil is sufficient for planting, it just needs to be fresh, loose and humus-rich. The Oriental paperbush does not need any special nutrients, as it is basically an easy-care and undemanding plant that grows quite slowly and lives true to the motto: less is more!