What's in Bloom: February

Chimonanthus praecox
Oak Allée

Delicate yellow flowers hang from the leafless branches of these shrubs. Wintersweet is a member of the calycanthus family, Calycanthaceae, and its flowers add a pleasant fragrance to the winter garden.

Galanthus sp.

Members of the onion family, Amaryllidaceae, these small perennials can be found blooming throughout the garden this time of year. There are several species of snow drops growing in the garden, each with distinct flower characteristics.

Hamamelis mollis
Witchhazel Collection

Native to China, these winter-blooming witchhazel shrubs display clusters of fragrant, bright yellow flowers. Each flower has four ribbon-like petals that emerge from red calyxes.

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Rubin’
Between Rose Garden and Pennock Garden

This shrub is a hybrid between Hamamelis mollis (Chinese witchhazel) and Hamamelis japonica (Japanese witchhazel), and the Rubin cultivar is bred for its showy orange/red flowers.

Cedrus libani ssp. stenocoma
Azalea Meadow

This subspecies of Cedrus libani is native to the mountainous regions of southwest Turkey. As its common name suggests, this tree has better winter-hardiness than the straight species. It is also more upright and columnar in form, while Cedrus libani branches have a more horizontal growth habit.

Cornus officinalis
Dogwood Collection

Clusters of small yellow flowers adorn this late-winter-blooming tree. Cornus mas (cornellian-cherry dogwood), planted nearby, has similar flowers and form, but Cornus officinalis blooms one week earlier and has more textured, exfoliating bark.