Helwingia himalaica

Helwingia himalaica resembles its close relative the Chinese Helwingia, but it loses its leaves in winter and is more cold-resistant. It is an Asiatic bush that is rarely planted in gardens but will delight collectors of unusual plants. It has a nearly unique characteristic, in that its flowering emerges from the central vein of the leaves, often in early summer. Its foliage, dense and attractive, is composed of thin and long dentate leaves of a shiny green colour. Preferring coolness and shade, it thrives in woods, in well-drained, humus-rich and moist soil.

Helwingia himalaica (Himalayan Helwingia) belongs to the botanical family Helwingiaceae. It is common in dense woods, particularly in eastern Nepal, between 2100 and 2700 meters (6900 and 8900 feet) above sea level, as well as in forests and woodland edges located between 1700 and 3000 metres (5600 and 9800 feet) in western China. With vigorous growth where it is happy, this elegant bush measures about 1.50 m (5 ft) at the age of 10, and reaches a height of about 2.50 m (8 ft) and a width of 1.20 to 1.50 meters (4 to 5 ft) at maturity. It bears shiny, thin and narrow, lanceolate and heavily dentate leaves from spring, measuring 10 cm (4 in) in length. They are fairly dark green, sometimes tinged with purple-violet on the edges, and fall in autumn. This perennial plant displays a rarely observed botanical curiosity, namely that its flowers emerge from the centre of the leaves. This morphology results from a fusion between the flower stalk and the leaf stalk. The purple flower buds, emerging in May-June from the central vein of the leaf, open up into small greenish-white flowers. Being dioecious, a male and a female plant are necessary to obtain purple berry fruits, isolated in the centre of the leaves.

This decorative bush, with its flexible habit and foliage, thrives in shaded and cool areas of the garden that are sometimes difficult to landscape. It is ideally placed at the back of a border, in company with shade-loving shrubs and perennial plants whose foliage provides contrast in both colour and shape - such as Japanese maples, dwarf honeysuckles, shrub or climbing hydrangeas, azaleas, or even golden-leaved hollies. At the back of a border of shade-loving perennials it will blend perfectly with tall Hostas, Heucheras, Caucasian forget-me-nots, or knotweeds.

The genus Helwingia was named in honor of Georg Andreas Helwing (1666-1748), a German pastor and botanist who discovered and described numerous Prussian plants, including Pulsatillas.