Nymans eucryphia

Sun

Full sun or light partial shade; flowers best with a sunny crown and shaded roots. Shelter from cold, drying winds.

Water

Keep the root zone consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water deeply during dry spells, especially while establishing.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-drained, acidic to neutral soil. Avoid chalky soil and sites that remain wet in winter.

Height

40-60 ft (12-18 m)

Spread

15-25 ft (4.5-7.5 m)

Flowers

Late summer into early autumn; large, lightly scented white flowers with numerous golden stamens.

Foliage

Evergreen. Glossy, leathery, dark green leaves; foliage can include both simple leaves and leaves divided into leaflets.

Growth

Moderate; faster in sheltered sites with dependable moisture.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   9 ft (2.8 m)

3. After 2 years

   12 ft (3.6 m)

4. After 3 years

   15 ft (4.4 m)

5. After 5 years

   20 ft (6.1 m)

About 16 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant in spring in colder districts, keeping the root flare at soil level and disturbing the roots as little as possible.
• Water deeply through dry periods during the first two or three growing seasons; established trees also need water in prolonged drought.
• Apply a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) mulch of leaf mould or compost each spring, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Keep the roots cool with mulch or low planting, without crowding the young tree.
• If growth is weak, apply a modest amount of balanced slow-release fertiliser in spring; avoid heavy feeding.

Pruning. Prune lightly in spring once the risk of severe frost has passed, removing dead, damaged or crossing branches. Preserve its natural upright framework and avoid hard pruning into old wood.

Spring

Plant in a sheltered position once the ground is workable and severe frost is unlikely.

Spring

Check for winter damage, prune lightly and renew the organic mulch.

Early summer

Check soil moisture beneath the mulch and water deeply if it is drying out.

Late summer

Enjoy flowering and take semi-ripe cuttings if you have suitable propagation facilities.

Autumn

Clear debris from around the trunk and check that drainage is adequate before winter.

Winter

Check young-tree stakes and ties, and protect recently planted trees from cold, drying winds.

• Use as a flowering specimen in a sheltered lawn or large border, allowing room for its eventual height.
• Plant at a sunny woodland edge with shade-tolerant shrubs beneath its outer canopy.
• Combine with rhododendrons and camellias for an acidic-soil planting with flowers across several seasons.
• Use its narrow, upright outline as an evergreen backdrop to a white-flowered or late-summer border.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, English country, Grand estate, White garden, Pacific Northwest woodland and Pollinator garden.

Plant it with: Rhododendrons, Camellias, Japanese pieris, Japanese anemones, Hardy ferns and Skimmias.

Wildlife: The open flowers attract bees and other flower-visiting insects in late summer. Evergreen growth provides shelter for birds.

• Leaf scorch and twig dieback from cold, drying winds: choose a sheltered site and protect young trees during severe weather.
• Wilting or leaf drop during drought: water deeply and maintain an organic mulch over the root zone.
• Yellow leaves on alkaline soil: check soil pH; strongly chalky ground is unsuitable, and repeated feeding will not correct the underlying problem.
• Root decline in waterlogged ground: improve drainage before planting or choose a better-drained site.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. Specific toxicity information for this hybrid is limited; no particular poisonous part is established, but it is not an edible plant.

• Chilean leatherwood (Eucryphia cordifolia)

  This evergreen parent has simple leaves, usually with distinctly pale, felted undersides; 'Nymansay' can also carry leaves divided into leaflets.

• Brush bush (Eucryphia glutinosa)

  This parent is deciduous, often develops autumn colour and has divided leaves; 'Nymansay' normally retains its foliage through winter.

Eucryphia refers to the concealed flower parts in the bud, while nymansensis and 'Nymansay' commemorate Nymans, the Sussex garden where the hybrid arose.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer and root them under humid conditions with gentle bottom heat. Rooting can be slow and unreliable; seed will not reliably reproduce 'Nymansay'.

Accepted botanical name

Eucryphia nymansensis

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.