Daphne genkwa
Common name:
Lilac Daphne
Pronunciation:
DAF-ne GENK-wa
Family:
Thymelaeaceae
Genus:
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Broadleaf deciduous shrub, grows to 3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 M), erect habit, stems thin and sparsely branched. Leaves mostly opposite (unusual for Daphne), simple, about 3-6.5 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm wide, lanceolate to ovate, apex acute, base rounded or wedge-shaped, both surfaces with silky hairs at first, later hairs only on the veins below, dull green above, paler below; petiole only 4 mm long. Flowers appear in spring before leaves expand, amethyst lilac, rose purple or rarely white, flower tube about 1 cm long, in clusters of 2 to 7, some say flowers have a subtle fragrance others say scent-less. Fruit small, white to reddish, black when dry, but often absent in cultivation.
- Sun to part shade.
- Hardy to USDA Zone (4)5 Native to China, Taiwan and Korea.
- Caution: reportedly all parts of the plant are poisonous, and it has been used as a pesticide; dried flower buds are used in some Chinese medicine.
- genkwa: "a transliteration of the Japanese pronunciation of its Chinese name" (Valder, 1999), which is Yuan Hua (Yuan Flower).
- In the parking strip on the west side on 10th St. north of Polk Ave.
Click image to enlarge
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plant habit, spring flowering
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flowering branches
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flowers
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leafy shoots, after flowering
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shoot and leaf
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plant habit, summer
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foliage
