Daphne odora (Winter Daphne)

A cherished garden plant with glossy dark green leaves and intoxicating, fragrant white flowers in late winter, on a rounded shrub; needs light shade and well-drained soil; never move once established

Winter Daphne is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should never be pruned except to remove any dieback, as it tends not to take pruning well. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

There are many species of Daphne with varying degrees of toxicity.  They all contain toxic compounds (daphnetoxin and mezerein) in their fruit, leaves and bark.  When parts of the Daphne plant are chewed on or ingested they can cause ulceration to the mouth, oesophagus and stomach.

Winter Daphne is clothed in stunning clusters of fragrant white star-shaped flowers with shell pink overtones at the ends of the branches from late winter to early spring, which emerge from distinctive rose flower buds. It has attractive dark green evergreen  foliage. The glossy pointy leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter.

Winter Daphne will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

Winter Daphne makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.