In The Garden Now ... Fragrant Winter Daphne

Winter Daphne

Text and photo by Victoria Gilleland

At times like this I wish I could share more than a few words and a photo of this exquisitely scented flowering shrub ... Winter Daphne. A Daphne scented “perfume card” like those that used to arrive with our monthly magazines would make a great adjunct to my description. The scent is spicy and intense and will perfume a large area especially if located in an enclosed space with building walls or a fence to reflect the scent. Growing this plant near the entry makes perfect sense ... or scents in this case!

Daphne is native to China and has been described in the literature there for a thousand years. There are about 50 species, but Daphne odora is probably the one most often found in Northwest gardens.   

It grows to about 3 x 3 feet and mixes well with other evergreen and deciduous plants in the garden.

There are two main varieties …. Winter Daphne with solid green leaves and Daphne Aureo-Marginata which has the same leathery leaves rimmed in a creamy stripe. Both have long narrow evergreen leaves and flowers that start out as dark pink or purple buds opening to clusters of waxy creamy white flowers.  Once the first flowers open the scent comes on strong!

Daphne has earned a reputation for being difficult to grow …. and rightly so. It likes acidic, well drained soil, partial shade to sun, and a permanent place in the garden. If you move it, even from a large container to the “perfect spot” in your garden or from one location to another in your garden it will almost certainly die.

They won’t die immediately but gradually decline over many months. I have one very sad looking Winter Daphne shrub in my garden right now that had been growing happily in a large pot on my front porch for 6 or 7 years. It had gotten too large for the pot and the space. So, last fall, as carefully as could be, I removed it from the pot and placed it in a meticulously prepared planting bed a few feet away.

It did not like that move at all! The plant has lost all of its “evergreen leaves” and is struggling to push out its last (?) batch of fragrant flowers. I'm pretty sure this one is headed for the compost heap!

Besides dying if moved or disturbed in some way, they sometimes die for no apparent reason. Now, don't let all of this talk of ‘sudden death’ discourage you from planting one of these wonderful shrubs in your garden. The delectable fragrance you’ll enjoy for a while or maybe for years is well worth pursuing. So, go for it …. add a Winter Daphne to your garden now!

Note: All parts of the daphne plant are poisonous if eaten, so plant away from children and pet play areas. In addition, sap from the plant may irritate the skin and eyes so be careful when handling this plant.Explain to your children when they can understand that the daphne plant is to look at not to eat.

If you would like more information about plant toxicity check out the Washington Poison Center website or call the office at 1-800-222-1222.

(Botanical Name:  Daphne odora )

Victoria Gilleland is the owner of Cottage Garden Designs, a Garden Design company specializing in Redesign of Residential Gardens, Garden Consultation and Coaching. She has been designing gardens in the northwest for over 20 years.