Associate the Drimys
6 successful pairing ideas
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Drimys is a beautiful evergreen bush with aromatic green leaves, producing creamy white flower bouquets in late spring (May-June). With its dense and bushy foliage, it is ideal for creating an effective privacy hedge all year round. The species Drimys aromatica is distinguished by its red branches, which create a stunning contrast with the green leaves. Drimys thrives in full sun or partial shade, in cool, humus-bearing, rather acidic soil. It is a robust and resilient bush, although it can be a bit frost-sensitive, capable of withstanding temperatures down to -10 °C. Discover our finest ideas and inspirations for incorporating it into your garden in this guide!
For everything you need to know about growing Drimys, feel free to check our comprehensive guide “Drimys: Planting, Growing and Maintaining”
To create an evergreen hedge
With its dense and evergreen foliage, Drimys is ideal for creating an effective privacy hedge in any season. We recommend pairing it with other evergreen bushes, such as Photinias, Elaeagnus ebbingei, Viburnum tinus, Cotoneaster, and Ligustrum japonicum. To avoid monotony, combine different shapes and shades of foliage. This will give your hedge a much more vibrant and free appearance! For example, you can add brightness with the golden foliage of Euonymus japonicus ‘Aureus’ or with the variegated foliage of Euonymus japonicus ‘Bravo’, which will contrast beautifully with the evergreen foliage of Drimys and laurustinus, Viburnum tinus. Similarly, the young red shoots of Photinia ‘Red Robin’ and Pieris japonica will bring a lovely splash of colour to the hedge, harmonising wonderfully with the red branches of Drimys.
Euonymus japonicus ‘Aureus’ (photo Wulf Forrester Barker), Drimys lanceolata (photo Megan Hansen), Pieris japonica var. forrestii ‘Wakehurst’, Viburnum tinus, and Elaeagnus ebbingei
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Drimys: planting, growing, and careIn a heather soil bed
Drimys is ideal for creating a heather soil bed, alongside bushes that, like it, appreciate acidic substrates. Pair it with the beautiful colourful flowering of rhododendrons and azaleas. For example, you might choose the red-pink flowers of Rhododendron ‘Nova Zembla’, the very bright yellow flowers of Rhododendron luteum, or the vibrant, bright orange flowers of Azalea ‘Glowing Embers’. Next to them, the delicate flowering of a kalmia and Enkianthus campanulatus will bring a light and delicate touch to the bed. You can also plant Andromeda polifolia ‘Nikko’, a shrub that does not exceed 30 cm in height, whose very fine foliage resembles that of rosemary, and which offers charming little white bells in spring that look like chimes. Enjoy the graphic foliage of Japanese maples, which comes in a wide range of colours depending on the varieties.
Acer palmatum ‘Summer Gold’, Drimys winteri (photo Eric Hunt), Andromeda polifolia ‘Nikko’, Enkianthus campanulatus, Kalmia latifolia ‘Minuet’ and Rhododendron ‘Nova Zembla’
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With colourful foliage
The Pseudowintera colorata is a cousin of Drimys, sometimes referred to as Drimys colorata, distinguished by its very colourful foliage. This bush has a compact, rounded habit (up to 1.50 m in all directions) and features green leaves marginate with purple, irregularly spotted with red, with a colouration that changes with the seasons and exposure. It pairs beautifully with Drimys and its red branches, as well as with other perennials and shrubs with colourful foliage. For example, plant them alongside the purple foliage of Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’, the flamboyant foliage of Berberis ‘Admiration’, and the dark foliage of Elder ‘Black Lace’. Bring contrast and brightness alongside them with the yellow foliage of the grass Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’. Also consider heucheras: they come in a very wide range of colours!
Heuchera ‘Ginger Ale’, Berberis thunbergii ‘Admiration’, Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ (photo Zoran Radosavljevic), Pseudowintera colorata, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ and Drimys lanceolata (photo Megan Hansen)
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8 evergreen and fragrant shrubsIn the background of a perennial bed
With its dark green, evergreen, and uniform foliage, Drimys makes a beautiful backdrop for colourful flowering perennials. You can pair the white flowers of Drimys winteri with the delicate flowering of avens, hardy geraniums (for example, Geranium himalayense ‘Plenum’), and the finely cut flowers of Centaurea montana. Also consider the Oriental Poppy, which bears cup-shaped flowers made of silky petals with a slightly crumpled appearance. There are many varieties in bright and soft shades. Alongside it, the spherical inflorescences of Allium ‘Mount Everest’ (with white flowers) or Allium ‘Globemaster’ (with mauve flowers) will punctuate the bed, adding structure and graphic appeal.
Drimys winteri (photo Leonora Enking), Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’, Papaver orientale ‘Helen Elisabeth’, Geranium himalayense ‘Plenum’ and Centaurea montana ‘Alba’
In a pot or container, on a terrace, in a courtyard, or a patio.
The Drimys can be planted in a large pot and placed, for example, in a small garden, on a terrace, in a courtyard, or a patio, to create a garden that is both graphic and modern. We recommend choosing a compact variety, such as Pseudowintera colorata (Drimys colorata) ‘Red Leopard’, which does not exceed 80 cm in height. Plant alongside it some perennials with decorative foliage, such as ferns, hostas, ophiopogons, and Hakonechloa macra. Bring verticality with the very straight stems of bamboo or horsetails, which you will place in a large container. Also consider Japanese maples and their finely dissected palmate foliage.
Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’, Drimys winteri (photo Wendy Cutler), Hosta ‘Emily Dickinson’, Dryopteris cycadina, and Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ (photo brewbooks)
With fragrant flowerings
Drimys has aromatic foliage, and its spring flowering releases a pleasant jasmine scent, making it perfect for creating a scented garden. Pair it with other fragrant flowering bushes, such as Gardenias, the Mexican Orange Blossom Choisya ternata, Mock Orange Philadelphus coronarius, and Daphne ‘Pink Fragrance’. You can also incorporate roses, such as the variety ‘Claude Brasseur’, which offers rose-scented flowers with hints of lemon verbena. They will beautifully complement the large star-shaped flowers of the scented clematis ‘Sugar Sweet’ (‘Scented Clem’), releasing a delightful acacia fragrance. To extend this olfactory appeal in summer, plant jasmine, honeysuckles, and pinks Dianthus plumarius ‘Scent First Memories’ alongside them.
Choisya ternata ‘Aztec Pearl’ (photo Bildoj), Drimys winteri (photo Scott Zona), Clematis ‘Sugar Sweet’, Gardenia jasminoides ‘Perfumed Petticoats’, and Rose ‘Claude Brasseur’ (photo Gianna Elena)
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