This shrub, which originates from China, grows to about 2m high. The flowers hang in clusters and are vaguely bell shaped but with long narrow pale yellow petals and a reddish brown centre. Above all they are intensely fragrant, and it is an advantage to have them accessible so you can appreciate the smell. A branch can be cut and brought indoors where it will fill a room with its sweet scent. The flowers can are often used in pot-pourri and to make perfumes.
Best sown late autumn or early spring. Pre-soak stored seed in tepid water for two hours, keep warm and moist for 3 days then chill for 5 - 8 weeks and sow in a cold frame. Germination is usually good, though it can be slow and takes place in 2 months at 13°C. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
