Daphne odora
Common name:
Fragrant Daphne
Winter Daphne
Pronunciation:
DAF-ne o-DO-ra
Family:
Thymelaeaceae
Genus:
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Broadleaf evergreen shrub, grows to 6 ft (2 m) high (occasionally much higher) with a similar spread, mounded, densely branched in sun, much less so in shade. Leaves simple, alternate, crowded at ends of branches, oblongish to elliptic, 5-8 cm long, narrowed at both ends but bluntly pointed, thick and glossy green. Flowers appear in early spring, in 2.5 cm terminal heads, they are rosy-purple to deep red, (also a white alba form), with creamy pink throats, very fragrant. The most fragrant of all the daphnes. Fruit red and spherical, but uncommon on cultivated specimens.
- Sun, but best in partial shade. Adaptable to many soil types, but needs good drainage.
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A few cultivars, including:
- ‘Marginata’: a variegated selection that is more widely grown than the species
- 'Mae-jima': also variegated, with a wide band of cream to yellow color along the leaf margin
- Hardy to USDA Zone 7 Native to Japan and China.
Click image to enlarge
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plant habit, flowering
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leaves and flower clusters
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flower cluster
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plant habit, fall
