This shrub is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.

• Position: full sun
• Soil: any fertile, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: fast-growing
• Flowering period: December to February
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  Small, sweetly scented, sulphur-yellow flowers stained purple inside appear on bare branches throughout the winter months. This vigorous shrub will usually take a few years to start to flower, but they are well worth the wait and they will make a lovely specimen plant for a sunny, well-drained mixed or winter border. Try to plant it close to a house entrance or path where its scent can be appreciated. Highly prized by floral arrangers, a stem of these unusual, bowl-shaped blooms makes a wonderfully fragrant indoor display.
  
  
• Garden care: Add some well-rotted compost to the planting hole when planting and sprinkle some rootgrow to assist with root establishment. Minimal pruning is required. Remove crossing, dead or diseased branches in late spring and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant.