Please share your Corylopsis pauciflora Experience

[JoeR]

Corylopsis pauciflora, or buttercup winterhazel, has marginally fragrant pendulous yellow flowers born on bare branches in late winter. The leaves are attractive, especially the elongating shoots that have a lavender to reddish color. The branching is also naturally fine.

Despite the appealing characteristics and potential this species seems to have as bonsai, there is little to no information online about them. Specimen trees, care and refinement information, etc. There are maybe a handful of threads on them here on bnut, in addition to Bill's specimen tree, but besides that I have found very little information online.


So please share your buttercup trees, knowledge, or experience in this thread.


I will start; I bought this from the International Bonsai seedling catalogue this past spring. Nice little start, needs plenty of growing so it was wired and planted into a grow box. Briefly battled what was likely a fungal infection, but since applying systemics and placing it under a shade cloth it has done very well.

 

[JoeR]

also, the second picture is not the final wiring product- I started to wire but decided to take a before picture. Apparently I did not take an after

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Corylopsis, is listed as only hardy to zone 7a, or 6b. I have been reluctant to attempt them in zone 5b. My winter storage for tender trees is not easily accessible, something blooming in middle of winter might not get seen if it is in my well house. If it was outside next to my pines, in the zone 5b cold, I could enjoy the winter flowers.

So I take a pass, this is a species for the south of Saint Louis half of USA.

 

[Wood]

Any updates on this tree? I'm probably picking up one of these this year

 

[ABCarve]

Corylopsis, is listed as only hardy to zone 7a, or 6b. I have been reluctant to attempt them in zone 5b. My winter storage for tender trees is not easily accessible, something blooming in middle of winter might not get seen if it is in my well house. If it was outside next to my pines, in the zone 5b cold, I could enjoy the winter flowers.

So I take a pass, this is a species for the south of Saint Louis half of USA.

So I’m in zone 5a and I’ve had one in the ground about 4years. It about 6 foot high, grows well and has prolific flower buds ..... however the buds only flower where they are close to ground and protected. A lot of anticipated joy for not. It’s going into a pot this spring. I’ll post results. Luckily it’s growing in used bonsai soil.

 

[JoeR]

Any updates on this tree? I'm probably picking up one of these this year

Nothing really worth sharing, but it grew well this year. Mine is very confused, it flowered in spring when I got it, again in fall, and I think it has more buds now again. I highly recommend them from international bonsai, cool species.

 

[ABCarve]

Chop chop chop. Dare it to live!!

 

[Wood]

Does anyone know if Corylopsis is single or multi-flush? I'm wondering if the new shoots and increased ramification from partially or fully defoliating will help speed up trunk development

 

[ABCarve]

Does anyone know if Corylopsis is single or multi-flush? I'm wondering if the new shoots and increased ramification from partially or fully defoliating will help speed up trunk development

Defoliation doesn’t help trunk development. Letting it grow helps a lot. I don’t think they respond to defoliation other than cutting leaves in half to allow light access inner growth.

 

[divergent_little_tree]

Early Father's Day present ... Top right, corylopsis paucifolia. Really looking forward to working with it this year. Going to start by air layering off the branches that don't fit the finished design and establish the new apex.

Here in the PNW it should flower mid-February to end of March, then possibly again in early September but not as abundant.