Mezereon

Mezereon: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, sparsely branched little shrub of 0.5–1.5 m with upright stems.

Leaf

Alternate, crowded at the shoot tips, 3–10 cm, narrowly oblanceolate, untoothed, soft and hairless; appears only after flowering.

Stems

Upright, greyish-brown, very tough stems.

Flower

Pink to purplish-pink, four-lobed flowers in twos to fours against the bare stem, from February to April, before the leaves; very fragrant.

Fruit

Glossy scarlet berries against the stem, in June–July; highly poisonous.

Difference from flowering currant

Flowering currant flowers later, in hanging clusters, and has lobed leaves.

Flowering: February–April · Pruning: March–April

Identify by feature: Pink blossom · Winter flowers · Red berries

Looks like it, but isn’t

• Flowering currant Ribes sanguineum: flowers later, in hanging clusters, and has lobed leaves. Difference from flowering currant

Why grow it?

• One of the most fragrant flowering shrubs of late winter.
• Flowers as early as February–March: early nectar for bees and bumblebees.
• Small: fits into any garden, even a narrow border in partial shade.
• Native and rare.

Mezereon: where does it grow best?

• Partial shade: morning sun or the light shade of taller shrubs is ideal; in full midday sun it dries out.
• Chalky, humus-rich soil that stays cool and moist but is never waterlogged.
• A sheltered spot where you can enjoy the scent, but not where small children play.
• Allow about 1 m height and 0.8 m width.

Light

Partial shade

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Normal

Size

1 m tall, 0.8 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Hazel: Flowers at the same time, with yellow catkins, and gives light shade in summer.
• Cornelian cherry: Small yellow flowers in February–March, on the same chalky soil.
• Lesser periwinkle: A low, evergreen ground cover that keeps the roots cool.
• Snowdrop: White bells in February at the foot of the pink shrub.

Good and bad companions

Goes well with

• Suits the woodland edge or the light shade of: ginkgo, box elder, ash, honey locust, field maple, silver maple

Mezereon: when and how to plant it?

1. Buy a young plant in a pot from a nursery. Never take plants from the wild: it is very rare there.
2. Plant in autumn or early spring, straight into its final position: it resents being moved.
3. Dig a generous planting hole, mix some leaf mould into the soil and disturb the root ball as little as possible.
4. Wear gloves when planting, and water during dry spells in the first year.

Care

Watering

During dry spells in the first year, and later in long dry summers: the roots must stay cool.

Mulch

Spread a layer of leaf mould around the base every year.

Feeding

Not needed; the leaf mould is enough.

Leave it alone

Don’t hoe around the base and don’t move it: the roots are easily damaged.

Tip: Spread leaf mould around the base every year and keep the hoe away: the shallow roots stay cool and undamaged, and the little shrub lives longer.

Mezereon: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March–April.

When: After flowering (March–April), if really necessary.

How:

• Best not pruned: this little shrub recovers poorly from pruning.
• Only remove dead twigs, back to healthy wood.

Caution: The sap irritates the skin and can cause blisters: wear gloves, wash your hands and don’t leave prunings lying where children or animals can reach them.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Sowing

In summer, pick ripe berries wearing gloves, remove the flesh and sow the seeds outdoors in a pot straight away; they often only germinate after one or two winters.

Seedlings

Seedlings sometimes appear beneath an old plant; transplant them while young, with a good root ball.

Mezereon: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Fully hardy.
• It flowers as early as February: frost briefly interrupts the flowering but does not harm the plant.

Diseases and pests

• Sudden dieback: A mezereon can die within a short time for no obvious reason; wet feet and damaged roots often play a part. Plant it in well-drained soil and leave the roots undisturbed.
• Aphids: Aphids on the young leaves in spring. Ladybirds and tits clear them up.
• Brown, limp leaves: Too dry or too sunny. Water, mulch, and next time give it a spot in partial shade.

Through the year

• February: Flowering on bare stems: enjoy the scent on mild days.
• March: Full flower; early bees and bumblebees. Remove dead twigs after flowering.
• April: Last month for pruning; the leaves appear. Leaf mould around the base.
• June: The berries turn red: highly poisonous.
• July: Pick ripe berries wearing gloves to sow, or leave them.
• August: Water in dry spells.
• October: Planting season.

What can you use it for?

Garden and landscape

Fragrant winter-flowering shrub for a spot in partial shade on chalky soil, ideally beside a path.

For wildlife

Early nectar for bees and bumblebees.

Caution: All parts are highly poisonous, especially the berries and the bark: do not plant it where small children play, and wear gloves.

Did you know?

• Its Dutch name, ‘little pepper tree’, comes from its burning, acrid taste: all parts are highly poisonous and the sap blisters the skin.
• There is a white-flowered form, with yellow berries instead of red.
• It flowers on bare stems, before the leaves: the flowers sit directly on the stem, so the branches look pink.