How Cool is the Paperbush?

Well, the Lily Pool at Brooklyn Botanic is frozen and this shrub is just starting to get ready to bloom. I'd say that makes it supercool.






















You have to give it up for a plant that thrives in extreme temperatures and I consider freezing temperatures to be extreme. If you really think about it, you'd wonder if humans are even Zone 7 hardy. Without our layers of clothing and the heat in our buildings, we'd be hardpressed to get through a winter, never mind trying to do it outside, even in a temperate climate like we have here in New York City. And yet here's this plant, not only surviving, but getting ready to flower. The flowers aren't even open yet and already it looks spectacular. I hope I get to see it in full flower later this winter, but I'm pretty glad I got to witness it as it was today with its winter buds. Is there anything cooler really than a winter bloomer?


Edgeworthia chrysantha, Paperbush, in the Perennial Border at Brooklyn Botanic.