Considering Corylopsis

Corylopsis veitchiana, the artist formerly known as Corylopsis sinensis f. veitchiana, or Veitch’s Winter Hazel, is a member of the family Hamamelidaceae, known better as the Witch Hazel family. Many of the species that fall within the Corylopsis genus exhibit attractive flowering structures at the cusp of spring, later than the bloom time of Hamamelis, usually falling somewhere between March and April in the Mid-Atlantic region. The showy inflorescences of Veitch’s Witch Hazel, specifically, appear first as succulent buds in mid-winter on top of smooth, sinewy bark, slowly unraveling to reveal drooping, lime green to fluorescent yellow clusters of layered frills. The flowers appear before the foliage begins to push, making the pendulous, brightly colored blooms stand out amongst the still-barren atmosphere of the late winter landscape.

Veitch’s Winter Hazel was originally thought to be a specific form of Corylopsis sinensis. However, since its botanical inception into taxonomic nomenclature in 1910, this plant has been accepted as its own unique species. Corylopsis sinensis originally hails from China, where it prefers the higher altitudes and slightly acidic, well-drained soils associated with mountainous regions, and is generally considered the largest species of Corylopsis growing to approximately 8’. In a 2005 study performed in Korea regarding various Corylopsis species, C. veitchiana was found to have some of the largest and most prolific flower sets that also performed the longest in the trial, alongside C. coreana and C. willmottiae. In the same trial, Veitch’s Winter Hazel was also found to have floral fragrance, paired only with C. sinensis (if you’ll remember, the species considered most closely related if not synonymous to C. veitchiana). The natural arching, vase-shape form of Veitch’s Winter Hazel can be left to its own devices as a large shrub, but can also be trained as a small specimen tree, or even as an espalier if given proper support and pruning.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Corylopsis sinensis (again, remember???!) is found to contain the glycoside bergenin, which has been found to be useful in the treatment of chronic bronchitis. While clinical tests are still being performed in an attempt to better understand this important medicinal phytochemical, bergenin was also successfully derived from C. willmottiae in 2011, as well as the leaves of C. coreana in 2021, meaning that going forward, the Corylopsis genus shows potential as a source for the extraction of this medicinally beneficial plant-derived compound for human intervention. Research specific to the medicinally potent phytochemicals of Corylopsis veitchiana have not yet been performed, or are yet to be considered. In the meantime, we can continue to appreciate this underutilized woodland shrub for its unique ornamental qualities that make it a springtime standout in the garden.

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Li, Changsong, Xiaozhen Chen, Dongmei Fang, and Guoyou Li. “A New Bergenin Derivative from Corylopsis Willmottiae.” Chemistry of Natural Compounds 47, no. 2 (2011): 194–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10600-011-9879-3.

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Park, Kyung-Ran, Yoon-Ju Kwon, Myounglae Cho, Il Keun Kwon, Jin Tae Hong, and Hyung-Mun Yun. “11-O-Galloyl Bergenin from Corylopsis Coreanas Leaves Induces Autophagy and Apoptosis in Human Osteosarcoma.” The American Journal of Chinese Medicine 49, no. 08 (2021): 2017–31. https://doi.org/10.1142/s0192415x21500956.

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Zhang, Caijuan, Baosheng Zhao, Chi Zhang, Minyi Qiu, Shuangshuang Ma, Xiaoyan Jin, Yuanyang Shao, Min Wang, and Xueyong Wang. “Mechanisms of Bergenin Treatment on Chronic Bronchitis Analyzed by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Based on Metabolomics.” Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 109 (2019): 2270–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.11.119.

Zhang, Haoyu, Jiahao Gu, and Hong Chang. “The Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequence of Corylopsis Sinensis (Hamamelidaceae).” Mitochondrial DNA Part B 7, no. 2 (2022): 417–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2022.2044400.

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