Flowering Ironwood is a flowering, deciduous shrub or small tree in the witch hazel family native to the western Himalayas and Asia. This plant matures at 20 feet tall and 13 feet wide in an oval to rounded form with glossy, wrinkled looking, leaves. In spring, the flowers appear before the leaves and consist of yellow stamens surrounded by four to six conspicuous petal-like white bracts, which contrast against the bare stems. The plant's species name honors Victor Jacquemont, a French botanist and explorer, who first collected the plant, but died soon after from cholera at the age of 31. It is tolerant of most soil types, but prefers acidic fertile loams. It does best in partial shade but will tolerate full sun. It is often found growing as an understory plant. It will need protection from frost. Propagation can be more successful with stem cuttings or layering; seed can take 18 months to germinate and seems to require alternating heat and cold. Flowering Ironwood is a long-lived plant and can be used as a specimen, in a woodland site or in a shrub border. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Oval; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Orbicular; Ovate
Leaf margin
Crenate; Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Two to three inch leaves are glossy with a wrinkled appearance. They are alternate, simple, ovate to orbicular, crenate or with serrated margins, dark green above, dense hairs below. Yellow fall color.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Clusters of small flowers without petals and 15-20 densely packed, yellow, stamens subtended by 4-6 white, ovate bracts. Blossoms in April to June. Short many flowered stalk.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long
Fruit detail
Fruits capsular, clustered. Seed is ellipsoid, 1/4 inch long, brown and shining.
Bark color
Light Gray
Bark detail
Smooth, gray trunk.
Stem detail
Branches are strong and flexible.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Afganistan to western Himalayas
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule
Uses (ethnobotany)
Branches are used in basket making or twisted together into thick ropes. The wood is hard, heavy, closely grained and used for walking sticks, tent pegs, and axe handles.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Woodland
Design feature
Border; Understory Tree
Garden tags
#deciduous #small tree #flowering shrub #shrub #flowering tree #understory tree #colorful bracts #understory shrub #border planting #long lived #rounded #woodland