Create Indoor Blooms With Winter-Flowering Trees and Shrubs

by JoAnne K., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer

During these dreary winter days, gardeners yearn for some sign of color to bring indoors to promise that spring is on its way. However, the garden has little to offer in the way of colorful cut flowers for indoor bouquets in January and February. But there is a way to bring color inside by forcing the stems of winter – and spring-flowering trees and shrubs to bloom.

Forcing is simply a method to get flowers to bloom out of season as is done with bulbs for seasonal displays.

This same procedure can also be used to get branches of woody plants to flower ahead of their normal bloom time.

Flower buds of winter- and spring-flowering trees and shrubs were formed last summer and fall. After a period of dormancy, these buds will start to swell as temperatures moderate.

By cutting the branches and bringing them indoors, warmer house temperatures will speed up the process of breaking dormancy.

Red Quince, Chaenomeles japonica

For the best results, look for branches with many enlarged buds that are starting to show some color. The closer the buds are to actual bloom time, the more successful the flowering will be.

Paperbush, Edgeworthia chrysantha

For a clean cut, use a pair of sharp pruners to cut the branch at an angle.

Cut a slit at the end of each stem to increase the branch's water uptake.

Immediately place the cut branches in a bucket of warm water. Once inside, make a new cut at the base of the branch.

For larger branches, you may want to mash the stem base with a hammer to increase the water uptake.

Successful forcing requires both warm indoor temperatures and a good uptake of water into the stems.

Before placing the stems in a vase with warm water, remove any buds, twigs, or leaves that will be under water.

For best results, place the vase in a cool area with bright light but out of direct sunlight to prolong flowering.

Change the water every two or three days to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi that can obstruct water flow into the stems shortening bloom time.

Bloom time varies by species and how close the buds are to their outdoor flowering time. Forsythia may bloom in less than a week indoors, while magnolias make require several weeks.

In eastern North Carolina, flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa and cultivars), forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia), winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), paperbush (Edgeworthia), and bridal wreath spirea (Spiraea prunifolia) are good choices to bring in now as their buds are swelling and flower color is beginning to appear.

Star magnolia (Magnolia stellata), saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana), redbud (Cercis canadenses), flowering cherries (Prunus species and cultivars), and flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) buds will be ready a bit later.

Winter Jasmine, Jasmine nudiflorum, with White Quince, Chaenomeles speciosa

If your cuttings have not opened after about four weeks, they were cut too early. Try again with new cuttings.

Through trial and error, you'll discover the flowering trees and shrubs that work best for you and when is the best time to bring them indoors.

While waiting for the beginning of the spring planting season, bringing some woody branches inside to flower is a fun way to enjoy some winter gardening.