1)  Betula albosinensis var. septentrionalis                           Chinese Red Birch

These beautiful birches show off the delicate pink, cream, and copper colors of their peeling bark in the Witt Winter Garden. The delicate twigs of the birch shed snow, while the trunk bark glows in comparison to the white. “Septentrionalis” generally means “northern” and refers to the seven oxen which make up the Ursa Major constellation in the northern sky.

Roy Farrow

2)  Cornus sanguineum ‘Midwinter Fire’                          Midwinter Fire Dogwood

This European dogwood of the Witt Winter Garden develops its stunning twig color only after the leaves begin to fall in autumn. The snow was unable to bend a single stem of this upright growing shrub and so the colorful stems remained stunning throughout the storm.

Roy Farrow

3)  Daphniphyllum macropodum                                                   Daphniphyllum

This tree or large shrub is native to China, Japan, and Korea and can be found in the China Garden of the Pacific Connections Gardens along the southern edge of the New Zealand Garden. These handsome plants have purple-red petioles holding their rhododendron-like leaves, which shed snow well despite their size, and the females of the species produce clusters of purple drupes in winter.

Roy Farrow

4)  Edgeworthia chrysantha                                                          Paperbush

While open flowers of other winter bloomers are often lost due to cold and wet conditions, Edgeworthia stands out as their unopened buds sparkle like gems in early winter. Later, as the flowers finally open, they will lose their sparkle but gain a heavenly fragrance reminiscent of Daphne odora.

Roy Farrow

5)  Hamamelis mollis                                                    Chinese Witch Hazel

This large Chinese shrub, found throughout the Witt Winter Garden as well as the Woodland Garden, has no trouble standing up to a snow load. It almost seems like the species and its hybrids wait for the snow in order to open their cheerful and delicate flowers, leading to many iconic winter garden photographs. The species H. mollis has yellow fragrant flowers and imparts these qualities to many of the hybrid cultivars of which it is a parent.

Roy Farrow