Chimonanthus praecox (Wintersweet)

Prized for its attractive and sweetly scented winter blooms, Chimonanthus praecox is a deciduous shrub that adds beauty and fragrance to the garden when most plants lie dormant. In mid-late winter, a profusion of small, highly fragrant, bowl-shaped flowers with almost transparent, greenish-yellow outer petals and short reddish-purple inner tepals appear on the naked branches. They may last until early spring, depending on the winter temperatures.