October daphne

October daphne: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, trailing clump 10–20 cm tall and 25–30 cm wide, with gracefully arching stems.

Leaves

Round to rounded-oval, 1–2 cm, fleshy and blue-grey with a red to pink edge; in whorls of three along the stem.

Flower

Round heads 5–7 cm across of small, star-shaped pink flowers, in September and October.

Autumn colour

The leaves turn reddish in autumn, then the top growth dies back.

Roots

A compact rootstock with fleshy roots; stems root easily where they touch the ground.

Flowering: September–October · Plants: March–May and September · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• Blue-grey foliage edged with red decorates the plant from spring to autumn.
• Flowers in September and October, when little else is in bloom, and attracts bees.
• Compact and trailing: lovely on a low wall, in a pot or in a hanging basket.
• Drought tolerant, with fleshy leaves that store water: almost no care.
• Hardy and easy to propagate from cuttings.

October daphne: where does it grow best?

• Full sun for the best flowering and the finest leaf colour; in shade it grows leggy and pale.
• Very well-drained, poor soil: sand or loam, acid to chalky. In a pot, use cactus or rock-garden compost.
• Dry; it will not tolerate wet feet, especially in winter.
• Put it at the edge of a low wall, in a rock garden or in a pot so the stems can trail. Allow 25–30 cm per plant.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry

Size

0.15 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Houseleek: The same thrifty, fleshy rosettes for a rock garden or pot.
• Showy stonecrop: Taller kinds flower at the same time and give height behind it.
• Ornamental grasses: Fine grass next to the fleshy leaves gives contrast.
• Maiden pink: A low, flowering carpet plant for the rock garden.
• Lavender: Drought tolerant and grey, it loves the same sunny spot.

October daphne: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September.

1. Plant between March and May or in September, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole the size of the pot and mix in coarse sand or fine grit if the soil is heavy.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot and lightly firm the soil.
4. Leave 25–30 cm between plants; in a pot, plant one or three.
5. Water a little after planting, then let the soil dry out.
6. Spread a layer of fine grit around the base instead of compost: it keeps the crown dry.

Care

Water

Little. In the ground rain is enough; in a pot water when the compost is dry and let excess water drain away.

Feeding

None or hardly any. A light dose of organic feed or a little compost once in spring is enough.

Mulching

Use grit or pebbles, not compost or bark: they hold too much moisture around the crown.

Repotting

Repot a potted plant every two or three years in spring into cactus compost, in a pot with a drainage hole.

Spent flowers

Leave the dry flower heads until spring or cut them off; it is a matter of taste.

Tip: Plant it in a pot or on a low wall where the stems can trail over the edge. Make sure the drainage is good: too much water is its biggest enemy.

October daphne: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: In March, before the new shoots appear.

How:

• Cut last year’s dry, brown stems right back to the base.
• Cut out weak or rotting parts back to healthy tissue.
• In autumn you can remove the spent flower heads if they look untidy.
• Shorten long stems after flowering to keep the plant compact.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

From May to August: take 5–8 cm stem pieces, strip the lower leaves, let them dry for a few hours and insert them in sandy cutting compost. They root in 2–4 weeks.

Division

In March–April: lift the clump, divide it into pieces with roots and replant straight away.

October daphne: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy to about −25 °C: the stems die back, but the plant re-emerges by itself in spring.
• The main danger is wet soil in winter. Plant in very well-drained soil and let the water drain away.
• In a pot: stand it in a sheltered spot, against a wall and under an overhang if possible, so the compost does not get soaked. Wrap the pot in hessian or bubble wrap against frost.

Diseases and pests

• Root rot: Stems turn soft and brown at the base. This is usually caused by soil that is too wet: plant higher, mix grit into the soil and water less.
• Vine weevil: Rounded notches in the leaf edges are the adult beetles; the white grubs gnaw the roots in winter. Pick off the beetles in the evening by torchlight or use biological nematodes.
• Leggy stems: Too little light gives long, floppy stems. Move the plant to a sunny spot.
• Slugs: Occasional slug damage in spring. Collect them in the evening.

Through the year

• March: Cut back dry stems. Divide the clump. Plant.
• April: Plant. Give a little compost or feed.
• May: Plant. Take cuttings.
• June: Growth, a sunny spot is ideal. Take cuttings.
• July: Take cuttings. In pots, water only when the compost is dry.
• August: Buds form at the stem tips.
• September: Flowering begins. Plant.
• October: Full flower, the leaves turn red. Bees visit the flowers.
• November: Stems die back. Protect pots from frost.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The species is named after Philipp Franz von Siebold, a German physician and naturalist who introduced many Japanese plants to Europe.
• The thick leaves are water reservoirs: that is how the plant survives dry spells.
• Many of the taller stonecrops were moved from the genus Sedum to Hylotelephium, which is why you meet both names.