Edgeworthia is a shrub native to China and the Himalayas and is a member of the daphne family (Thymelaeaceae). The Irish botanist Michael Pakenham Edgeworth and his half sister Maria Edgeworth were both honored with the naming of this plant. Chrysantha is Greek for “golden flower.” The common name paperbush comes from its use to produce quality paper. In Japan, the paper is used to make banknotes. Edgeworthia thrives in partial shade and appreciates well-enriched, moist soil. Space these plants about 7 feet apart in partial shade and rich, moist soil. Maintenance on this plant is minimal; prune in spring or winter to remove diseases or damaged branches. When pruning, keep in mind that blossoms will appear on old growth. In spring, it sports lovely bluish foliage with silvery undertones that are both eye-catching and soothing. The foliage turns a nice yellow in the fall. This well-branched, well-formed shrub begins forming its silvery buds in late summer and into fall, adding interest to your fall garden. It begins to bloom in December, when it’s nothing but a bare silhouette in the garden, and continues through the winter. The individual florets are tiny, but a few dozen make up a 1½ to 2-inch cluster of beautiful yellow flowers. They have a gardenia-like fragrance. This plant is noteworthy for its unique three-pronged branching. Edgeworthia makes a nice stand-alone specimen or back-of-the-border choice. You don’t have to worry about missing the scent of the blooms, but you may want to plant it within reach of passersby because the foliage invites handling. Be sure to snip a few blooms to keep the house fragrant through the winter. This is the ideal choice for a winter garden, sensory garden, or children’s garden. It can also be used in a pollinator garden (it has flowers when few other plants do) or a cottage garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Often confused withRhododendronRhododendron catawbiense 'Roseum Elegans'Rhododendron Encore® GroupRhododendron indicumRhododendron maximumRhododendron minus var. chapmaniiRhododendron PJM GroupRhododendron 'Ramapo'
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Blue; Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblong
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Narrow green leaves, gray-green below, with short stalks have the best color in some shade. They turn an attractive shade of yellow in the fall. 3-5 inches long by 2 inches wide. Young leaves are covered with white, silky hairs.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Long Bloom Season
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Tiny tubular flowers with colorful sepals and no petals in dense umbels of 40 golden yellow flowers. Silvery flower buds appear in late summer and open in the winter when few other plants are in bloom.
Bloom time
Spring; Winter
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit detail
Inconspicuous dry drupes
Bark color
Light Brown
Bark detail
Smooth brown bark.
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
Brown attractive stems. The three-pronged branching is unique among commonly cultivated shrubs and makes this plant instantly identifiable, even without leaves or flowers.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
China and the Himalayas
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Buffer; Colorful; Easy to Grow; Fragrance; Screening
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Drupe
Uses (ethnobotany)
Inner bark is used to make paper hence the common name.