Daphne odora
It might be modest and demure , tucked away by the back door or under the eaves alongside a garden path , but you ’ll never overlook winter daphne ( Daphne odora ) when it ’s in full flush .
The sweet , spreading scent of its delicate flowers will fill up your garden and home , and you wo n’t require to miss a instant . That ’s why it ’s advantageously planted as airless as possible to your house so you may enjoy its rich fountain perfume .
We unite to vendors to help you find relevant products . If you bribe from one of our links , we may earn a perpetration .
In this guide , we ’ll look at this plant life ’s likes and dislikes , why it ’s known for being temperamental , and how to grow it in a pot as well as in the reason .
My gran ’s name was Daphne , and my parents have always grow winter daphne in their garden in her honour .
I ’ve just moved into an old farmhouse with quite atraditional bungalow gardenpalette – think clipped hedging andstandard roses – but the first industrial plant my mother sniffed out when she visited was wintertime daphne .
It was hidden behind a line of shaggyboxwoodbordering the path leading to the back threshold .
florists' chrysanthemum had get the aroma on a still day while remain firm a good 10 feet from the plant , and that ’s a gravid cue as to why people love this woody shrub so much , despite its relatively short lifespan .
Here ’s an overview of what we ’ll cover in this guide :
What You’ll Learn
What Is Winter Daphne?
Winter daphne , also known as sweet or fragrant daphne , has the strongest - smell bloom of more than 90 different metal money belonging to theDaphnegenus .
The evergreen plant , mound woody shrub has light to dark unripe leaves with a leathery gloss and extremely fragrant flower head . It can grow from two to four feet wide and four to six pes gamy .
It grows skillful in partial shade in Zones 7 to 9 , out of the blast of the summertime sun , in humus - racy soil . It can be grown in a sens , although this can be tricky – read more below under Container Care .
There are also some exception to the rule . In the Denver Botanic Garden , for deterrent example , the more cold-blooded - hardyD. odora‘Zuiko Nishiki ’ thrives in Zone 6 condition in their sheltered Rock Alpine segment , growing in dry , gritty soil .
In shade of recondite red to lift to white , one- to one - and - a - half - inch blooms are produced in clump made up of 10 or so flyspeck florets . They can flower as early as tardy January to May in Zones 8 to 9 , and from March or April to May in Zone 7 .
Cultivation and History
In the wild , D. odorasits in the dappled shade of tall forest trees . Its wonderful scent has made it a garden favorite in its aboriginal China and Japan for thousands of class .
In the West , it became popular among puritanical gardeners in the 1800s in the UK where it was often prevent as a houseplant .
Daphneis the Greek name of a mythologic nymph and means “ laurel ” whileodorameans “ fragrant . ”
A Note of Caution:
All parts ofD. odoraand all other daphne species are toxic to people , pet , and livestock . Some exhibit skin allergy when debunk to the sap so it ’s advisable to wear gloves when handling these works .
Rarely , D. odoramay grow red Chuck Berry after blossoming which can look attractive to baby . However , they smack extremely blistering which tends to make them less potential to be eaten .
If your plant does bring about berries , remove and dispose of them straightaway if you have children or pets .
Signs of ingestion in the great unwashed and animals include ulcers or blisters in the mouthpiece , excessive drooling , vomiting , and fucking looseness . Toxic effects may let in blister in the esophagus and abdomen , raptus , coma , and demise . However , fatalities are highly rare .
Propagation
Commercial growers graft plant life but the process is complex and beyond the scope of this clause .
you may get winter daphne from seed . However , mostD. odoravarieties rarely produce them . If yours does , sprouting is notoriously unreliable and some report it can take up to two years .
In contrast , it ’s well-fixed to propagate these plants from cuttings or by layering stems .
Be warn , rooted cuttings can be tedious to spring up and may take up to two years to blossom , so most gardeners opt to buy transplants from a baby’s room . The difficultness in propagating daphne is why they run to be pricier than other similar - sized shrubs .
However , ask anyone who ’s had one and they ’ll reassure you – the part they make to late wintertime and early springiness gardens is worth the investing .
From Cuttings
Take cuttings in early to midsummer . Stems should be taken from the current twelvemonth ’s maturation that had not yet flowered . Only take cuttings that are healthy - sounding , undamaged , and firm .
You will require rootle endocrine pulverization and a four - inch glasshouse pot or peat pot for each cutting , take with a spare - draining , infertile semen - starting or steady down mixture . Water the soil well , so it ’s damp before you tote up the cutting to it .
habituate sharp , unimaginative secateurs or snipping to take a six - inch cut – snip just below a leaf node into the arboreous part of the stem . dispatch the leaves from the lower half and any sonant tips at the top until two to four leaves persist .
Bontone II Rooting Powder
Dip the cut end in rooting endocrine pulverization like Bontone II Rooting Powder , available from Arbico Organics .
Tap the stem gently to remove any spare powder . habituate a dibber to create a jam , then fight the end into the mixture until half the root word is sink , almost to the level of the lowest leafage . Firm the soil around the newspaper clipping .
Place inside a clear fictile bag . Loosely tie the bag so there ’s high-pitched humidity with some air circulation . pose in a somewhat warm , middling undimmed spot such as on top of the electric refrigerator .
check into the soil and bag daily . You require moist but not waterlogged condition .
base should develop in a few weeks , but sometimes it can take as foresighted as 10 weeks . To control , ever so gently pull on the cutting off to see if there ’s resistance .
Once there are roots , launch the purse to provide more air to mobilise . After a few weeks , slay the dish and place the cutting in a dapple with direct morning sun . let the soil to dry out to an inch or so deep before watering .
Transplant into the garden once it has grow intelligent , unassailable new foliage , which may take up to a yr look on the variety . Choose its forever fix in the garden cautiously – read more about site choice under How to Grow below .
By Layering
Stem layering mimic a lifelike process where stem that touch the background take root .
You will need root hormone powder , a few fistful of a potting mixture that ’s racy in organic subject like compost , peat , or coir ; a scalpel or other sharp cutting puppet ; a brand garden basic or a piece of wire out to in a “ U ” chassis ; and a brick .
In springtime , take care for a young , healthy stem turn that is supple enough to bend and set along the primer with little to no underground .
expend the scalpel to withdraw a distich of sets of leaves on fresh wood , around six to 10 column inch along the stem . Make a shallow dent just below a leaf node .
meld the compost into the soil where the nicked stem will pose . Dig a little trench into the soil mix , place the stem turn in it , then trap it in place . Add a thin layer of grime just to deal it , then order the brick on top .
The stem may take up to 12 months to form enough roots to fend for it . Once the stem is show unassailable foliage growth , skip it off on the side of the mother plant .
you may transplant it to a young spot , or better yet , leave it in position if the original plant is over five years old as it will be nearing the end of its life story .
How to Grow
D. odorais a slow - growing , humiliated - maintenance shrub that will grow outdoors in Zones 7 to 9 , put up nighttime temperature down to 10 ° F in a slur shelter from insensate malarkey .
Soil Preferences
It ’s decisive to plant wintertime daphne in the right conditions as its very sensitive origin organisation does n’t stand being transplant . Sometimes even territory hoo-hah nearby can impact it .
Choose a spot with forenoon sunshine and light or mottled wraith through the rest of the twenty-four hour period . It must be protected from the bright midday summertime sun and cold , drying winds .
Too little Dominicus and flowering will be restrain ; too much and the leaves will burn .
Generally , it does best in more or less acidulent to neutral soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0 , although plants will sometimes tolerate slightly alkaline ground .
Ideally , soil also needs to be sandy , humus - rich loam . Most importantly , it must be well - draining . If anything is going to pour down your daphne , it ’s root issues , most commonly get by wretched drainage .
When planting out from a glasshouse lot , endeavor to leave the roots in peace . If the Mary Jane does n’t slip off easily , cut it off . If you do n’t postulate to , do n’t relax or “ tickle ” the roots to spread them out .
Sit the plant ever so slightly above ground level so it has a little room to settle . Tamp the ground as you backfill around it so there are no air pockets .
If you have clay , dig a cakehole that ’s two to three times large than the root ball . Use some of the clay from the planting kettle of fish and good merge it with free - draining soil options such as compost bark , pot premix , and uncouth sand .
The proportions will calculate on your ingredients , but adjust until you have a on the loose , sandy premix .
Backfill into the maw so the flora is an column inch or so above the original reason height and then mound the soil amalgamate up around it .
Watering
Daphnes do n’t wish sitting in wet grunge and are fairly drought resistant .
If you ’re not sure whether to pee , err on the side of teetotal rather than risk of exposure making it too wet . cut lacrimation during dormancy and leading up to bloom time .
It ’s rare to need to water a daphne much over wintertime unless it ’s in a particularly dry spot such as under the eaves of a building .
They do benefit from a tenacious , deep tearing during teetotal periods but check to make certain the grime is dry at two inches deep before you do it again .
It can be best to water by helping hand rather than using irrigation on a timer so you may judge the filth moisture yourself .
Mulch with a thin layer of foliage moulding , or of age shredded woodwind or o.k. bark , but keep it out from the chief stem .
Feeding
Mostly , plants out in the garden are self - sufficient and do n’t need feeding . It ’s different for those growing in a pot – read more in the Container Care subdivision come up .
If they do show signs of a want of nutrition such as yellow leaves , provide a light feeding of wearisome - release bush or tree diagram fertiliser .
However , note there are other reasons leave may turn yellow , include wretched drainage or drought .
If leave turn xanthous but have pronounce dark-green veins , it ’s a sign of an Fe inadequacy because of soil that ’s too alkaline . The cause may be calcium oxide you ’ve added to the soil or the works may be too close to newly - laid concrete .
Look for a fertiliser for acid - know plants as these take branding iron chelate , which will help oneself raise branding iron levels .
Fertilome Chelated Liquid Iron
you may also habituate an smoothing iron chelate compound production such as Fertilome Chelated Liquid Iron , usable from Nature Hills Nursery .
Espoma Soil Acidifier
Or , try a dirt acidifier like Espoma Soil Acidifier Organic Supplement , alsoavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
Growing Tips
Container Care
wintertime daphne can be grown in a container , but these plants are known for being “ moody ” thanks to their sensible origin , which are more at peril of becoming too wet or too warm in a pot .
Choose a container that will last for the plant ’s lifetime , based on the tallness and propagate at maturity date of the miscellany you choose .
You want to select one that is at least doubly as wide as the root ball – or a lower limit of 12 column inch for transplant – and at least twice as high as it is wide .
There are several reason for this :
The mountain must have a drainage hole or cakehole at the bottom . Do n’t put anything in the bottom of the mint such as pit or mesh , as this will retard the flow of water through the soil and create muddy patches .
You may need to move the container to a drier touch in prolong rainwater .
Use humus - ample potting ground . For good drainage , lend 20 percent perlite , pumice stone , or smash granite wimp grit , like this one from Chicken Heritage that’savailable on Amazon .
Granite Chicken Grit
If the plant is showing signs of distress , such as yellow foliage , the dirt pH may be too mellow .
Be deliberate not to disturb the solution while implant . sample not to touch them – cut the nursery pot forth if you ’re having trouble dispatch it .
body of water deeply and append more potting commixture if the filth story settles below the top of the root ball .
Place the container in a spot where the plant receive forenoon Dominicus and dappled shade in the afternoon to keep the roots from getting too ardent and to prevent burns to the foliation .
Allow the top two in of soil to dry out between watering . droop leaves can be a signboard of desiccation , but they can also be a sign of too much water – always check the soil before watering .
If foliage begin to bend yellow and development is also stunt , check the pH and amend with an acidifier as necessary .
Burpee Azalea , Camellia , Rhododendron Plant Food
Feed during the develop and flowering season with a plant food for acid - loving plant , such as Burpee Natural Organic Azalea , Camellia , Rhododendron Plant Food , useable from Burpee .
Pruning
Winter daphne does n’t require much if any pruning . Its branches do n’t mend well from stinger , so it ’s good to put up with any straggly - seem growth until the industrial plant reach its grownup height .
Prune only after unfolding . Even then , it ’s unspoiled to only remove dead or damaged wood , cutting about a quarter of an inch back into goodly wood .
Snipping flowers on stems to have on display in the business firm is often enough to keep up shrubs . These will last up to a hebdomad in urine and fill the house with their sweet scent .
Cultivars to Select
D. odoracomes in a range of flower colors from pure white to deepest maroon . Variegated cultivar allow for flashes of gold - tinged foliage throughout the year .
Here are a few recommendations to quicken your appetite :
Alba
spate of snowy white bunch are countersink against deep green parting .
‘ Alba ’ has a lemon scent that ’s said by some to be the most mordacious of all varieties and grow three to four feet high , with a banquet two to four groundwork wide .
Aureomarginata
Also known as ‘ Marginata , ’ ‘ Aureo ’ means gold , and this beautiful cultivar ’s deep green leaves are edged in a line of bright yellow .
The starry flowers are a blending of white to pale maroon - pinko . It grows three to four foundation high with an equal spread .
Maejima
This striking plant has flowers with a delicate clean pink inside and maroon - purple on the outside .
However , it ’s a bright , bold bearing twelvemonth - round thanks to the fatheaded jaundiced mete on its green leaves . It arise three to five foot tall with the same spread .
Marianni
Also known as ‘ Rogbret , ’ the flower are a beautiful pallid pink , edged in a rich plum - pinkish tone . ‘ Marianni ’ grows three to five feet tall and wide-eyed .
‘ Marianni ’
gild one - and - a - half- to two - year - old ‘ Marianni ’ plantsfrom Nature Hills Nursery .
Perfume Princess
This intercrossed cultivar is a cross ofD. odoraandD. bholua , also known as Nepalese paper plant .
The resultant role is a acrid wintertime daphne with blooms four time large than those ofD. odora , closer to the sizing ofD. bholuablooms at around four inch across , with the bonus of extra blossom along the base on mature plants .
It flowers earlier and for a longer catamenia thanD. odoraas well .
Shoutout to its stock breeder , my ruralist and legendary plant breeder Mark Jury of New Zealand , who spent more than a X working to produce this variety .
There are two types , one with pallid pink flowers , the other pure tweed . Both produce to around three feet gamey by three feet wide .
Rebecca
Rose - royal buds undefendable to gorgeous pale lilac - pink flower .
‘ Rebecca ’ is similar in appearance to ‘ Aureomarginata ’ with a band of yellow around the edge of the leaf , and grows three to five foot high by three to five infantry wide .
Zuiko Nishiki
A Japanese cultivar with fragrant ashen peak with pink edge , ‘ Zuiko Nishiki ’ is said to be more cold - hardy than other salmagundi ofD. odora .
This cultivar grow three to four feet high and three to four foot all-encompassing .
Managing Pests and Disease
Horticulturalist Dr. Michael Dirr has some strong thoughts on daphnes .
He ’s debate one of the foremost experts on woody industrial plant in the US , a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia , and a long - clip author with many published books , admit “ Dirr ’s Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs , ” which isavailable from Amazon .
Dirr ’s Encyclopedia of Trees and bush
“ Many die for no explicable reason . It has been my pleasance to lose more than I can count on finger’s breadth and toes , but I continue to imbed . ”
register more about possible reason and what may , or may not , preclude it in the Sudden Death section below .
Pests
Plants are most often impress by worm pests when conditions are pitiful , such as too much or not enough urine , a nutrient deficiency , or getting too cold over winter .
weighing machine insects look like tiny calamitous or brown barnacles on the leave-taking and stems . Check out our article onhow to identify and control these insectsfor more information .
Winter daphne may also be affected by aphids . learn more onhow to see to it and eradicate aphid in our scout .
Mealybugs can also overrun these plants . You canlearn more about mealybugs in our article .
Diseases
D. odoradoesn’t tend to live longer than about five to eight years , and usually dies due to disease .
In other portion of the existence they may acquire for 10 to 15 year in cultivation . Experts surmise this may be due to some regions not verify types of fungi or bacterium that may taint the roots .
Leaf Spot
Brown spots on leaf can be because of fungal or bacterial leaf spot . move out touch leave and treat with a copper - based antifungal .
Root Rot
If soil conditions are too wet , wintertime daphne is prone to suffering from root buncombe caused byPhytophthorawater mould .
Read more in our guide onHow to carry off Root Rot in Fruit , Nut , and Landscape Trees and Shrubs .
However , rot roots can also be due to a fungal infection .
Sudden Death
Daphnespecies are so renowned for give-up the ghost suddenly without monition , within days , that there ’s a name for it : daphne sudden death syndrome .
Also known as sudden daphne death syndrome , or SDDS , one of the first signs of a works ’s decline is yellowing leave . These can first come out due to cultivation upshot , such as :
It ’s possible to counterbalance these outcome and hopefully keep open your works , but often the perpetrator is a fungus that ’s naturally present in your garden ’s soil , which takes advantage of the works ’s weakened State Department as it ages and stick out environmental tension .
inquiry has founda fungus calledThielaviopsis basicolais responsible , but there may be dissimilar coinage of kingdom Fungi worldwide that cause it .
The plant life ’s crown and ascendant develop brown to black lesion . leave of absence bulge turning xanthous , eventually falling off . Once this starts happening , the plant life pass within 14 to 21 twenty-four hours . There ’s no therapeutic .
While you ’re likely to see infection due to management issues like those outlined above , sudden end can also just find with no clear cause , even to a plant in an ideal situation .
The experts check it ’s good to acceptD. odorais only go to be around for a short time , and to diffuse or buy successor before its inevitable declination .
Do n’t imbed another one in the same shoes , or close to where one has died , in case pathogen may be present .
Best Uses
The best status for it is nigh to the mansion , under a kitchen window , near a walkway , or in a pot on a patio or deck of cards , so you do n’t omit the masses of bloom and their sensational redolence on cold-blooded bounce mornings .
plant can also be grown together , to form a hedge .
prune flowers last for about a week in water and will continue to give off their beautiful scent .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Don’t Be Without a Daphne
Dr Michael Dirr proclaim “ a southern landscape without fragrant daphne is really not a garden . ”
In the heart of spring in my part of the world , I ’m in complete agreement despite the winter daphne in my garden take up to look a little wretched with some leaves yellowing .
I distrust a wet winter and hebdomad of tradespeople stump on the soil in its box of the garden as they determine rotten weatherboards might be to blame .
Yet , its sweetened aroma is wafting in through the bedroom windows , and I ’ve already make up one’s mind where I ’ll plant the next one .
And for morefragrant blossoming options to tot up to your garden , read these guides next :
© need the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Cartesian product photo via Arbico Organics , Burpee , Chicken Heritage , Nature Hills Nursery , and Timber Press . Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .
About
Nadene Hall
