Distylium, a New Low-Maintenance Shrub

Sometimes skeletons are lovely. Most of the time we ignore the skeletons in our gardens, those sturdy background plants that give structure to the garden and that support more exciting specimens. These may be trees or shrubs, and often they are evergreen. We walk past them, but how floppy would the garden be without good bones?

One may think of Distylium as a skeleton plant, but newly introduced cultivars are worth more than a passing glance. The shrubs all have beautiful form and are good alternatives to plants like cherry laurel, indian hawthorne, juniper, and boxwood. Never heard of Distylium? Neither had I until this year, but for me it was love at first sight, despite a name that hints of illegal booze-making. 

Distylium is a member of the witch hazel (Hamamelidaceae) family, and the resemblance is seen in the tiny red flowers that appear in late winter and early spring. Don't expect to be thrilled by the blooms, if you happen to notice them. The beauty of distylium is the shrub's nicely elongated, evergreen leaves, which lie in a herringbone pattern.

Dystilium is a native of eastern and southeatern Asia, consisting of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees. There are three Dystilium hybrids recently introduced to the United States. 'Vintage Jade' is the one I acquired. The lustrous, arching foliage has a bluish cast. It grows only to about two feet tall, but will spread to five to six feet wide. It can be used as a ground cover, as a low hedge, or as a border along paths.Distilium 'Vintage Jade'

Distylium 'Blue Cascade' is another introduction that has a nicely cascading habit. It grows about 3 feet high by 4 feet wide. This one has matt, blue-green leaves. It is a nice accent plant or can be planted as a hedge.

Distylium 'Emerald Heights' has an upright, dense form, growing to 5 feet tall and wide. It has dark green, glossy foliage. It makes a great privacy fence or hedge.

One reason I am attracted to this plant is its ease of care. Distylium is both drought tolerant and wet soil tolerant, though it grows best in well-drained, slightly acid soil. It likes sun to partial shade, and it is not bothered by diseases or pests. Growing in hardiness zones 6b-9, it takes both heat and cold. It sounds as good as it looks! 

Early Spring in Deb's garden

Redbud trees are blooming.But the garden is a mess. Bales of pine straw are waiting to be spread. A large heap of mulch and sacks of sand and soil are off to one side. Heavy pavers for a new walkway are stacked upon a pallet. Projects are being attacked that should have been completed already but haven't been, because who wants to work in the icy temperatures that we were having until recently?

It is all very exciting, and my garden juices are flowing like the river that rushes over Niagara Falls; and I go headfirst, tumbling till I hit bottom and realize I can't do this. I am fortunate to have Lou, who is retired and is an eager helper. So I am the supervisor, and we will get it done when we get it done.

Every year is like this, and I wonder if the time will come when everything is completed, and all we have to do in the spring is to tidy up, then sit back on the patio and drink refreshing drinks while we listen to the birds chirp. I doubt it, for there is always another project on the horizon, whether or not we know it. When we become too feeble for gardening, then we will pass the garden to younger souls with stronger bodies and new ambition. Or maybe it will simply die away, a lost garden choked by weeds and held alive only in fading memories. I can accept that.

But for now, I still feel the rush. Washes of color are showing up in the gray landscape. The bright orange of flowering quince:

The magenta-pink and white of Jane magnolia:

The bright yellow of forsythia and the lavender-pink of redbuds:

Below left, the hellebores are fading but still beautiful; and though many of the daffodils have finished blooming, there are still lovelies out there, including the pristine white one below right:

Early spring in my garden is busy, busy, busy. We must get so much accomplished before summer's heat puts a stop to it. Yet what is that worth if we don't appreciate the beauty, if we don't watch the bluebirds and hawks and geese flying overhead, if we fail to hear the songs of nature or to smell the rich perfumes in the air? So I take time to sit with a refreshing drink, and I thank God for the earth He has given us to work upon.