This unusual shrub is in flower in the Systematic Beds.
Abeliophyllum is a monospecific genus (contains only one species) belonging to the olive family (Oleaceae), which also includes Forsythia. It is distinct from Forsythia in having round indehiscent, winged fruit rather than a dehiscent capsule borne by Forsythia. The single species is A. distichum, a lax shrub from deciduous or montane woodland of central Korea. This is an unusual shrub which grows to 1.5m in height and spread, and bears fragrant white or flushed pink flowers with a yellow-tinted corolla, which are produced from February to April. Preferring a sheltered situation in the garden it can also be trained as a climber, where it can benefit from the protection and heat of a wall. It was first described in 1919 by Takenoshin Nakai (Director of Tokyo Botanic Garden) who sent material to the Royal Botanic Garden Kew in 1932. A rarity in cultivation A. distichum is noted as a species of conservation concern, existing in a small number of dispersed locations in central Korea, where it is also at threat from human activity. The genus takes its name from Abelia, whose leaves it closely resembles, while the specific epithet distichum is misapplied, as the leaves are neither divided or lobed as this name suggests.