Corylopsis gotoana — identification & habitat

Gotoana fragrant winterhazel is a Japanese shrub grown in U.S. gardens. Pale yellow flowers hang from bare branches in early spring, before the leaves appear.

Appearance

Growth form: It is a broad, multi-stemmed that can reach about 10 ft (3 m).
Leaves: The leaves are rounded to egg-shaped with a heart-shaped base and a slightly pale underside.
Flowers: Pale yellow flowers hang in a from bare twigs in early spring. Young shoots, leaf stalks, and fruit are nearly hairless.

Look-alikes

spike winterhazelCorylopsis spicata

This species is nearly hairless on young shoots, leaf stalks, and fruit. Spike winterhazel (Corylopsis spicata) has noticeable hairs on those parts.

Why they get mixed upBoth are Japanese shrubs with hanging pale yellow flowers before the leaves emerge.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: rocky mountain slopes in Japan
arboretums and gardens
Range: It is native to Japan. In the United States, it is grown as a garden shrub.
Preferred conditions: In Japan it grows on sunny, nutrient-poor mountain ground and rocky sites.

Name and classification

About the name: Corylopsis glabrescens var. gotoana is an older name for this species. Korea’s hi-eo-ri (Corylopsis coreana) is a separate species.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

14 sources