The oriental paper bush is a heavily wooded deciduous shrub native to China, Nepal, and Japan. It is typically grown for its abundant golden and white flowers that open late winter, when the branches are otherwise bare. The flowers have a fragrance that has been described as honey-citrus. It needs to be intense in order to attract pollinators at this time of the year.
The flowers are followed by dry, purplish-green berries. The papery, cinnamon-colored bark of the shrub has been used for centuries for making high quality paper, especially Japanese bank notes.