Winter sweet, also known as Japanese allspice, is a hardy shrub that comes from mountainous regions of China. The name ‘Chimonanthus’ means ‘winter flower’ in Greek.
The small, sweetly scented, waxy blooms are light sulfur yellow with brownish purple inner petals. They are produced on the bare branches of older bushes in late winter or early spring. It takes a young plant a few years to settle down to flower.
The fruits are about 2 to 4 cm long, succulent and reddish to purplish-black when ripe, similar in appearance to an olive. Their sap is milky and toxic.
The photo was captured a couple days ago in ‘Grün80’, one of Basel’s city parks.
Astrid
8 Feb 2025