Winter daphne is an evergreen shrub from southern China, grown for its clusters of rosy-pink flowers with a powerful sweet scent that open in mid to late winter. It is not native to the U.S., but gardeners grow it widely in mild-winter areas (USDA zones 7–9). Every part of the plant is poisonous.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A dense, rounded evergreen shrub, usually 3–6½ ft (1–2 m) tall and 2–4 ft (0.6–1.2 m) wide.
- Leaves
- Glossy, dark green, narrow oval leaves about 1½–3½ in (4–9 cm) long.
- Flowers
- Rosy-purple buds open into pink flowers, paler to nearly white inside, packed in clusters about 1 in (2.5 cm) across at the branch tips. White-flowered forms exist.
- Flowering time
- Mid to late winter into early spring
- Fruit
- Seldom sets fruit; when it does, the berries are red.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Gardens
- Foundation plantings
- Containers
- Range
- Native to southern China, Vietnam, and Taiwan, and long grown in Japan. In the U.S. it is a garden plant only, grown mostly in zones 7a–9b.
- Preferred conditions
- Likes sun to part shade (afternoon shade in hot areas) and moist but very well-drained, organic soil.
Growing it
- Care
- Plants are often short-lived, sometimes lasting only three or four years. It is deer resistant and moderately salt tolerant.
- Propagation
- Roots easily from stem cuttings of partly ripened shoots taken in midsummer; layering also works.
- Toxicity
- All parts are highly poisonous to people and pets if eaten, and the sap can cause skin rashes.
Name and classification
- Varieties and forms
- 'Aureomarginata' and similar have cream- or yellow-edged leaves; 'Aureomarginata' is also hardier than the plain-leaved plant. 'Alba' has white flowers.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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