Chimonanthus Praecox Add interest & colour to your garden with this stunning Chimonanthus Chimonanthus praecox, also known as wintersweet, is a vigorous deciduous shrub with an erect trunk & leaves that are 5-29 cm long. Its strongly scented flowers, produced in winter are yellow or pale green-yellow, tepals. However, as lovely as it looks, its fruits are not edible & its seeds contain a toxic alkaloid called calycanthine, so dont be tempted to test their taste!