Daphnes perfume the garden - Brief Article

Sunset, March, 2002 by Steven R. Lorton

This month, daphnes start to perfume Western gardens. Here we describe four kinds prized for their fragrant flowers. In mild-winter areas, shop nurseries for these shrubs now. In cold-winter areas, order daphnes for spring planting; two excellent mail-order sources are Forestfarm (541/846-7269 or www.forestfarm.com) and Greer Gardens (800/548-0111 or www.greergardens.com).

Once established, daphnes tend to grow steadily and evenly, so no major pruning is needed. A snip here or there is usually all you need to keep errant branches under control. Do this while the plant is in bloom, so you can take the cut stems indoors. (Note: All parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested.)

RELATED ARTICLE: Winter-blooming kinds

February daphne (D. mezereum). Deciduous. Sweetly scented, reddish purple flower clusters are borne along naked branches from February to April. This somewhat gawky shrub grows 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide, Plant it in front of fine-textured evergreens or tuck one among broad-leafed evergreens. Full sun or light shade. One of the hardiest daphnes, to -20[degrees]. Sunset climate zones 2-7, 14-17.

Winter daphne (D, odora). Evergreen. Intensely fragrant flowers, pink to rose outside with creamy pink throats, appear in February and March. The species has glossy green leaves to 3 inches long. 'Aureo-marginata' has yellow-edged leaves. Noted for its neat growth habit, the shrub reaches about 4 feet tall (sometimes 8 or 10 feet) and 6 feet wide.

Despite its reputation for being hard to grow, including a tendency to die suddenly for no apparent reason, this plant is widely grown. You can improve the odds by planting in porous, well-drained soil in a spot where it will get at least three hours of shade each day and no strong afternoon sun. Also avoid transplanting or otherwise disturbing the roots. If you have heavy garden soil, try growing it in a container or raised bed filled with organic soil mix. Zones 4-10, 12, 14-24.

Spring bloomers

D. x burkwoodii. Evergreen to semievergreen to deciduous, depending on the severity of winter cold. Small clusters of strongly fragrant flowers (white fading to pink) appear in late spring and again in late summer. It has rich green leaves and grows 3 or 4 feet tall and wide. The variety 'Carol Mackie' has gold-edged leaves and reaches 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Full sun or light shade. Hardy to -20[degrees]. Zones 2B-6, 14-17. Garland or rose daphne (D. cneorum). Evergreen. Clusters of fragrant, rosy pink flowers appear in April and May. The species has dark green leaves, as does the variety Ruby Glow' (deep pink flowers); Variegata has gold-edged leaves. Forming a mat less than 1 foot tall and 3 feet wide, this plant is well suited to containers or rock gardens. The variety 'Pygmaea Alba' (white flowers) grows only 3 inches tall and 1 foot wide. Full sun in cool-summer areas; light shade in warm areas. Hardy to -20[degrees]. Zones 2B-9, 14-17.