Those bright yellow flowers are not forsythia

Mild weather has brought out the pretty yellow blooms early this year

Posted: Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012

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Nancy Brachey

Nancy Brachey writes about gardening for The Charlotte Observer's weekly Home & Garden section.

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JOHN ROTTET - JOHN ROTTET

SCAPES.HM.020206.JRR -- RALEIGH, NC -- 2/2/06 -- Jasminum nudiflorum (cq), winter jasmine, which is native to China, flourishes along the Raleigh Beltline at the 6 Forks Road overpass. According to Andrew Bell, Ph.D., Associate Director, North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina: Winter jasmine is a very adaptable plant with no serious disease or insect problems. Because of its spreading habit and adaptability, it is a good choice for planting on banks and slopes for stabilization and more importantly it eliminates the need to mow. It is also a good choice for planting above a wall as it gives a cascading effect. Few plants flower this time of year so I think it has great value despite just being a "green shrub" the rest of the growing season. The forecast colder weather on the way for North Carolina might slow this adapable plant down some, but is not likely to stop its flowering. And additional information from Wendy Wenck, Herb Garden Curator, North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina: Jasminum nudiflorum or winter jasmine, is a low-growing (reaching 3 to 4 feet in height) deciduous shrub that blooms at this time of year. Each shrub can spread as wide as 6 or 7 feet, with its branches rooting where they come in contact with the soil. It is tough and a fast grower, so it would help somewhat with controlling erosion on slopes that are in full sun. Winter jasmine is colorful when in bloom, though I would say that at other times of the year it is pretty nondescript. Its flowers are not fragrant but have the advantage of opening over many weeks' time. STAFF PHOTO BY JOHN ROTTET

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Q. What is the best way to protect Gerber daisies over winter? Any special kind of mulch or pine needles that might be best? We have some that have returned now for the fourth spring and summer. And there are still a few bright blooms holding on despite the failed foliage from the frost.

These beautiful flowers should survive winter if the roots don’t freeze. And winters in the Piedmont have been mild enough to accomplish that for some, if not all, of yours. To keep the roots from freezing, a light mulch of an inch or so of pine needles, loose leaves or straw should help. These mulches are light enough so that water does not sit over the crown at the base of the plant and encourage rot. Do not use pine bark or chunks, which are dense and may keep the soil wet. Poor drainage of the soil at any time of year encourages rot.

Mild weather brought out the first blooms of winter jasmine in the past week, and a welcome sight they are, though a few weeks ahead of when we normally see them.

Winter jasmine, whose botanical name is Jasminum nudiflorum, is a flower of the cool-to-cold days of winter. That keeps them going, as if they were in a florist’s cool box. Even freezing weather, common in January, doesn’t seem to harm them very much.

Their blooms remind people of forsythia because the shape and color are similar. But winter jasmine blooms earlier, the flowers are smaller and the stems are green instead of beige.

It also blooms longer, and much of this is due to our winter weather. Forsythia blooms in March, when the days get warmer, and that tends to shorten the life of the flowers.

So what is this useful plant like? It possesses a very graceful shape, with stems rising 3 feet or so from the ground and then arching gracefully. This makes it good for a corner or a gentle unclipped hedge. Even better, it cascades beautifully over a tall wall of stone or brick where the stems can grow much longer. This can be quite spectacular, especially through the winter as both the flowers and new leaves come out. The foliage is a pretty glossy green, organized as three leaflets each about 1 1/2 inches long. The flowers tend to emerge on the bare branches, then are followed by the new foliage.

It may also be useful on a bank, but the stems and foliage may not be dense enough – at least initially – to cover all the ground and keep weeds down. This plant tolerates poor soil but thrives in better, well-drained ground, and has no pests that amount to anything. It requires a bright, sunny spot that is moist but well-drained. It transplants well and settles down rapidly in a new location.

The only demerit is there is no scent, which often surprises people considering the name. The tropical jasmines such as Jasminum samba, often sold as a potted plant in winter and spring, is the one you’re thinking about for a strong scent from its white flowers. It is not a plant for outdoors here in the Piedmont.