General Informations
Chimonanthus praecox, also known as wintersweet or Japanese allspice, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Chimonanthus of the family Calycanthaceae, native to China and Japan.
It is a vigorous deciduous shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall with an erect trunk and leaves 5–29 cm (2–11 in) long and 2–12 cm (1–5 in) broad. Its strongly scented pendent flowers, produced in winter (between November and March in UK) on bare stems. This plant is cultivated in gardens, producing valued flower colour in the dormant season.
An oil prepared from the flowers is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
