Here are a few highlights to look out for in the arboretum during December…

December is a wonderful month for scent. Daphne bholua releases its sweet fragrance from clusters of pale pink and white flowers as they fully open. On days with a light breeze, you may catch its perfume drifting through the arboretum. The yellow blooms of Mahonia japonica—often called Japanese mahonia—also add their distinctive aroma to the winter air.

Berries remain abundant too. Holly and Sorbus are still putting on a show, and Berberis jamesiana (James’s barberry) is especially striking, with its clusters of small, translucent berries that ripen to a coral-red, much like redcurrants.

The white stems of Betula utilis ‘Grayswood Ghost’ and ‘Silver Shadow’ shine on grey days, while the many varieties of Cornus grown for their colourful winter stems also come into their own. Look out for Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’, glowing with bright orange stems.

 

Finally, keep an eye out for the vivid ornamental stems of Acer palmatum ‘Bi Hoo’, along with the red, bristly stems of Rubus phoenicolasius (Japanese wineberry), which glow on a sunny winter’s day.