Distylium x Cinnamon Girl® (Distylium)

Cinnamon Girl® is a compact, hybrid cultivar of Distylium, occasionally called isu tree or winter-hazel, an evergreen relative of the witch-hazel family, originally native to high elevation areas of East Asia. As with many winter-hazels, Distylium x Cinnamon Girl® is a sprawling, low-growing shrub that typically grows to 2-3' tall and slightly wider to about 3-4'. Relatively compact among showy Distylium cultivars, Cinnamon Girl® is also well regarded for its purplish new-growth and luscious blue-green mature foliage, as well as its enhanced cold hardiness over many other cultivars.

In the winter, Distylium x Cinnamon Girl® produces small, fuzzy red flowers that attract a variety of pollinators, making them an important off-season food plant for a number of species. As an introduced plant, Cinnamon Girl® has no real issues with pests or disease and, though it is an introduced species, Distylium poses no risk of becoming invasive over time. Well-regarded for its shape, glossy foliage, and general hardiness, Cinnamon Girl® is becoming a popular replacement for a number of boxwood cultivars in low borders and evergreen accent plantings. Distylium x Cinnamon Girl® is a great addition to the garden, as it is resistant to both drought and deer damage, and is not picky about soil consistency or light level, growing best in full sun, but also tolerating part shade.