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Stachyurus praecox is a deciduous shrub from the Stachyuraceae family of plants. It is native to Japan. They also call it the Stachyurus, Early Stachyurus. The genus name “Stachyurus” is from Greek, a compound word, meaning ear of corn and tail, and “praecox” means early.
It grows to about 10ft or 3m and spreads about 8ft or 2.5m. They grow it for the unusual flowers that bloom early spring before the foliage. Buds actually form in autumn and hang like pendants on the branches through winter and flower in spring. They grow in racemes containing up to 20 tiny flowers, from the leaf axils. Each individual flower is bell-shaped, yellowish-green with 4 petals. The branches of this plant are reddish-brown. The foliage is ovate serrate and medium green. They change color to red and yellow in autumn.
How to grow Stachyurus praecox:
Grow Stachyurus praecox in the sun or light shade. Plant it in acidic, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. In colder weather shelter it from cold winter winds. It flowers on old wood. If needed, prune it after the flowers are done in spring. It is a low-maintenance plant and is usually pest-free and disease-free. Propagate by seed or semi-hardwood cuttings.
