Winter daphne

Winter daphne: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Compact, rounded, slow-growing shrub reaching about 1 m tall and as wide.

Leaves

Narrowly elliptic, 5–8 cm, leathery and glossy dark green; edged creamy yellow in ‘Aureomarginata’.

Flower

Clusters of small starry flowers at the shoot tips: purplish pink outside, pale pink to white inside.

Scent

Very strong and sweet, with a fresh, lemony note; strongest on mild, still days.

Fruit

Small red berries, rarely produced in our gardens. They are poisonous.

Roots

Fine and sensitive: they cannot stand wet soil and resent being disturbed or moved.

Flowering: February–April · Plants: April–May and September · Pruning: April–May

Why grow it?

• One of the most fragrant shrubs: in late winter its flowers scent a whole corner of the garden.
• Flowers from February to April, when little else is in bloom.
• Evergreen and compact: a neat shrub with glossy leaves all year round.
• Its modest size suits a small garden, a spot by the front door or a large pot.
• A few sprigs in a vase scent the house for days.

Winter daphne: where does it grow best?

• Partial or light shade; some morning sun is fine, but no scorching afternoon sun.
• Humus-rich, free-draining sandy or loamy soil, acid to neutral.
• Moist but never wet: it must not dry out, nor sit in waterlogged soil.
• Sheltered from cold east and north winds, for example by a wall or among other shrubs.
• Allow 1 m of space; place it by a path, a door or the patio to enjoy the scent.

Light

Partial shade

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

1 m tall, 1 m wide

Hardiness

Half hardy (to -12 °C): protect it in harsh winters

Goes well with

• Christmas rose: Flowers at the same time and also likes partial shade.
• Snowdrop: A white carpet at the foot of the shrub in February.
• Skimmia: Another evergreen shrub for partial shade and acid soil, with red berries or scented buds.
• Ferns: Fresh green fronds that keep the roots cool in summer.
• Barrenwort: A low, tough ground cover for the same sheltered spot.

Winter daphne: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September.

1. Plant in April–May or in September, so the roots can still grow before winter.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in leaf mould or well-rotted compost.
3. If your soil is heavy or wet, plant on a slight mound or in a raised bed.
4. Set the shrub at the same depth as in its pot, no deeper, and firm the soil gently.
5. Water well straight away, preferably with rainwater.
6. Spread a mulch of leaf mould or fine bark around the base, keeping it off the stem.

Care

Watering

Keep the soil lightly moist in the first year. After that, water only in dry spells, preferably with rainwater.

Feeding

In April a little compost or organic fertiliser for acid-loving shrubs. Not too much: it is naturally slow-growing.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould keeps the roots cool and moist and the soil open.

Moving

Avoid it: choose the final spot straight away. An older shrub often fails to re-establish after a move.

In a pot

Use a large pot with a drainage hole, filled with free-draining ericaceous compost. Repot rarely and carefully.

Tip: Wet feet are the main killer of winter daphne. Plant it in humus-rich, free-draining soil, slightly raised on heavy ground, and choose its permanent place by a path or door from the start.

Winter daphne: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April–May.

When: Pruning is rarely needed. If you want to shape it, do so straight after flowering, in late April or May.

How:

• Cut out dead, damaged or frosted shoots back to healthy wood.
• Shorten an overlong shoot to just above a leaf or side shoot.
• Cutting flowering sprigs for a vase is a light prune in itself.
• Never cut hard into old wood: it regrows poorly or not at all.

Caution: Wear gloves when pruning: the sap can irritate the skin. Do not leave prunings where animals could eat them.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings

In July–August: 8–10 cm cuttings from non-flowering shoots, lower leaves removed, in moist cutting compost under plastic. Rooting is slow, taking a few months.

Layering

In spring, nick a low branch, peg it into the soil and cover it. After a year, sever it carefully and replant it with a large root ball.

Winter daphne: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −12 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Moderately hardy, to about −12 °C. In a normal Belgian winter it stays outside in a sheltered spot.
• In hard frost or cold east winds: drape horticultural fleece over the shrub to protect the leaves and flower buds.
• A layer of leaf mould around the base protects the roots.
• In a pot: move it to an unheated, frost-free place, or wrap the pot in hessian against a sheltered wall.

Diseases and pests

• Sudden death: The shrub wilts within a few weeks and dies. This is usually root rot caused by wet soil. Choose a free-draining spot and never overwater.
• Yellow leaves: Pale yellow leaves with green veins point to soil that is too chalky or too wet. Water with rainwater and add leaf mould.
• Virus: Mottled, distorted leaves and poor growth. There is no cure: remove a badly affected plant and buy healthy stock.
• Aphids: On young shoots in spring. Natural predators usually deal with them; otherwise hose them off with water.

Through the year

• February: Flowering begins. Fleece in hard frost.
• March: Full flower and scent. Cut a few sprigs for a vase.
• April: End of flowering. Planting. Light prune after flowering.
• May: Light shaping if needed. Planting. Mulch.
• July: Water in dry spells. Take semi-ripe cuttings.
• August: Take cuttings. Water in dry spells.
• September: Planting.
• November: Move pots to a sheltered spot. Have fleece ready.
• December: Flower buds swell. Protect in hard frost.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Daphnes are highly poisonous in all their parts; the red or black berries tempt children, and just a few berries can cause serious poisoning. The sap irritates the skin: wear gloves when pruning. Do not plant them where small children play. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Did you know?

• In Japan it is called jinchōge. Together with sweet osmanthus and gardenia, it counts as one of the three most famous fragrant shrubs there.
• Daphne is the Greek word for laurel. In Greek myth, the nymph Daphne was turned into a laurel tree.
• The ‘petals’ are really the four lobes of a coloured calyx tube: winter daphne has no true petals.