This is commonly called white forsythia. I've posted about it in the past -- about its fragrance and its early blooming at the time of the crocus. I wanted to add a few more notes to my previous posts. It's blooming now, before the daffodiles, before the common yellow forsythia, and before the cherry blossoms. Its problem lies in that the blooms can be destroyed by a hard freeze if it comes late after blooming.
Abeliophyllum distichum is a member of the fragrant olive family, and a native of Korea. It acts like forsythia in that it is a wild misbehaving child that rambles around and looks terribly unattractive for most of the year. Just like forsythia, it is difficult to control into a well-mannered form. Its branches create unplanned offspring by rooting new plants if not kept off the ground.
But for those few days in early spring, it's worth it. The neighbors love its sweet perfume. They appreciate my cuttings of its branches, telling me how it perfumes the entire house with just three sprigs. Yes, that's true; it does.
I took some into a Master Gardeners spring meeting one year since it was blooming at that time. Most gardeners had never heard of it. Many experienced gardeners requested its name or some sprouts if available. I was the most popular guy at the plant swap later that year.
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