How to Plant, Grow, and Care For Daphne Shrubs

Flowering daphnes are deliciously-scented shrubs with showy blooms on attractive evergreen, semi-evergreen, or deciduous forms. They are gems in the shade garden and offer multi-season appeal. The perfume will capture you first and send you looking for the source, often from compact plants loaded with blooms.

Some daphne varieties bloom in winter through spring, delighting the cold-season garden with an intoxicating fragrance. Other varieties flower heavily in spring and lightly repeat bloom through fall for seasonal bursts of fragrance and color.

What are Daphne Shrubs?

Daphne are woody, flowering shrubs with fragrant flowers. Plants are usually compact, making good specimens for small garden spaces and containers. Slow-growing beauties, daphne shrubs bring a touch of the exotic to the shady landscape in fragrance, flower, and foliage.

Characteristics

Flowering daphne shrubs feature attractive foliage, dark green and glossy, or with variegation in creamy white margins. Leaves spiral around stems for a whorled appearance. Compact varieties have dense foliage and a spreading habit, while others grow upright with open branching. Plants are evergreen, semi-evergreen, or deciduous, depending on the variety and winter climate.

In the winter or spring, bursts of star-shaped, tubular flowers emerge with an intensely sweet fragrance, sometimes spicy or with citrus notes. Some varieties bloom in late winter to spring, while others flush heavily in spring and continue to flower sporadically until fall. Flowers are usually shades of red, pink, purple, or white, sometimes with yellow eyes. The nectar and pollen-rich blooms attract bees at a time when many plants are dormant.

The blooms lead to small berries that begin green and transition to yellow, red, or black in the fall. The fruits support birds foraging late in the season. Daphne is toxic to people and animals if ingested, and the sap can irritate skin. (Birds aren’t affected by plant toxins).

Flowering daphnes make lovely foundation plantings, specimens, and container arrangements. They’re beautiful in woodland plantings and brighten dappled shade gardens with their color and fragrance.

Native Area

The Daphne genus includes nearly 50 species of woody shrubs from Europe, North Africa, and Asia. Its habitat includes Mediterranean-type climate conditions, with mild, arid summers and cool, wet winters. Other daphnes are native to the Himalayas, growing at high altitudes. Some varieties originate from eastern Europe and Russia’s rocky outcrops and pine woodlands.

Daphne’s natural growing areas reflect cool climates with low humidity and fast-draining soils. Extreme winter conditions and hot, direct sun and high humidity damage plants if not protected. Cold-hardiness is variety-specific, with some hardy to USDA zones 3-4. 

Explorers and botanists introduced flowering daphne shrubs to England, and colonists brought the plants to the United States. Two species of daphne, D. mezereum, and D. laureola, naturalize in parts of the northern U.S. and Canada and are invasive in certain areas.

Planting

Choosing the right garden site for daphne from the start is the key to its best success. Daphne is slow to establish, and its roots don’t respond well to being disturbed once planted.

Flowering daphne shrubs grow in the ground and containers. Containers make good options for areas with poor soils or cold winter temperatures and winds. Pots also make it easy to enjoy the fragrance, flowers, and foliage up close.

If opting to grow daphne shrubs in containers, make sure the pot size is related to the mature size of the plant to accommodate its roots. A large container is best so that plants grow undisturbed.

Daphne makes a beautiful addition to woodland arrangements, winter gardens, pollinator plantings, fragrance and sensory gardens, and rock gardens. They’re usually available for purchase as grafted plants and may be expensive because of the specialty and skill involved in propagating and growing daphne.

Transplanting

Plant daphne shrubs in the spring or fall when temperatures are moderate, and there’s plenty of natural moisture. These mild conditions give the plants time to settle in before summer and winter temperature variations. Generally, daphne prefers a protected area that is warm and free of winds.

In areas with cold winters, protect daphne from exposure to winter winds by growing them in a sheltered area or on the south side of a house. Try overwintering containers in a protected space like a porch, garage, or basement.

How to Grow

Daphne shrubs can be finicky, but they aren’t necessarily high maintenance. They just have specific cultural requirements that allow them to grow with the best health and vigor.

Many daphne varieties grow slowly, with some newer varieties having a more moderate growth rate. Some are long-lived in the landscape, while others live for only a few years. Sometimes, daphne declines quickly without apparent rhyme or reason.

In the right spot, with regular moisture, daphne shrubs need little else. Their unique multi-season appeal is well worth adding to the plant collection.

Light

Depending on the variety and climate zone, daphne shrubs grow best in partial shade. In cool climates, they tolerate full sun as long as soils remain moist. In more southern climates, they need protection from direct sun to prevent leaf scorch. Some varieties, like D. mezereum, grow best in full shade.

Dappled light or morning sun with afternoon shade is a good setting for most species of daphne, which make excellent woodland border plantings.

Water

Daphne grows and flowers best with regular watering in warm seasons or periods of prolonged dryness. Water regularly throughout the growing season, especially in the first year as plants get established. Aim for about one inch per week or when the top two inches of soil are dry. Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings.

Check daphnes in containers often in the summer, as containers dry out more quickly than ground soils.

Once established, daphne is moderately drought tolerant. And while most daphne do best with even moisture, they won’t thrive in prolonged wet conditions. They do tolerate coastal conditions and mild salt.

Soil

Flowering daphne shrubs thrive in well-draining soils with even moisture, with soils drying out slightly between waterings (but without roots drying out completely). They prefer neutral to slightly acidic soils with a pH between 6.0 – 8.0 or less.

Sandy, loamy soils offer the fast-draining and organically rich qualities that daphne requires. With amendments and good drainage, daphne adapts to a variety of soil types. Soils with high organic matter improve aeration, moisture retention, and drainage while providing nutrients. 

If you have heavy soils like clay, opt for a container or raised bed planting. Some varieties, like D. mezereum, may grow in heavy soils with added organic amendments. Use a well-draining soil mix amended with bark or compost for improved aeration and drainage in containers.

Temperature and Humidity

Depending on the variety, daphne grows in both warm and cold climates. Cold-hardy varieties include D. cneorum, D. x burkwoodii, and D. x transatlantica.

Plants respond to cold temperatures by dropping their leaves. In mild climates, the plants are usually evergreen or semi-evergreen. They are more likely to be deciduous in cold winter climates.

In areas with high humidity, ensure plenty of air circulation around plants. Humidity can lead to rot issues and decline in overly wet conditions.

For container-grown daphne, ensure roots stay cool and shaded in the summer to avoid baking and drying out. As noted, container plants benefit from protection against winter conditions.

Fertilizing

Due to their slow growth and deep roots, fertilizer isn’t essential for daphne shrubs. Too much fertilizer leads to soft, weak growth, susceptible to breakage from winds or heavy snow. The organic amendments in the soil provide plant nutrients.

To enrich containers, top dress with new compost in the spring. Remove the top layer of existing soil to make room for the new.

Maintenance

With their slow growth, daphne shrubs require little maintenance. Prune dead or damaged canes in early spring. If variegated plants show entirely green branches, remove them so the plants don’t revert.

Other pruning is a little risky; it may cause dieback, but it also benefits larger varieties that become susceptible to breakage by keeping a bushy form. The best course is to prune daphne if necessary. 

Prune large upright plants like Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’ to maintain form and prevent potential breakage by cutting back ¼ of top growth in early spring. Or, prune after flowering. Take care not to tear bark when cutting.

Add a layer of mulch to the area surrounding daphnes at planting and again each spring. Make sure not to mulch too closely to the stems so rot doesn’t occur. Mulch keeps roots cool in the summer and retains moisture. It insulates in the winter and suppresses weeds year-round. As mulch breaks down, it adds nutrients to the surrounding soil.

Propagation

Daphne shrubs propagate best through hardwood cuttings, though they develop slowly and may take a few years to become robust plants. Cuttings may take up to a year to root. If you’re up for the challenge, take cuttings in the summer on semi-green growth (where old wood meets new).

Cuttings

Take multiple cuttings since not all may root. Here’s how to take daphne cuttings:

• Cut healthy stems into six-to-eight-inch pieces, each piece with mature leaves.
• Remove the foliage from the bottom ½ of each segment, keeping any upper leaves intact. Keep cuttings moist until ready to pot.
• Optional: moisten the cutting and generously coat the lower stem with rooting hormone. Tap off any excess rooting powder.
• Stick the cutting about half its length in a tray or small pot prepared with moist, well-draining soil and a perlite mixture. Place the cuttings in bright, indirect light.
• Water/mist as needed, keeping the soil evenly moist.
• When roots develop, transplant cuttings to a larger pot. Keep soil evenly moist until plants are leafy and ready for the garden.

Popular Varieties

When selecting daphnes for your garden, consider hardiness zone recommendations to narrow down the best options. White many daphne shrubs are in cultivation, some are easier to source than others because of their unique growing conditions.

Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’

Daphne odora is among the most fragrant of the genus, and this variety of winter daphne is elegant in leaf, flower, and fragrance. Deep purple-pink blossoms emerge in late January to March, and their intensely sweet perfume may draw you in before you even reach the plant. Long, glossy green leaves have creamy yellow edges. Mounded plants reach three to four feet tall.

D. odora is native to China and Japan. ‘Aureomarginata’ is a bit more winter hardy than the species, down to about 10°F (-12°C), and USDA zones 7-9. Where not hardy, plants overwinter in containers in sheltered areas protected from winter winds and freezing temperatures.

Other striking variegated D. odora cultivars include ‘Maejima’, ‘Moonlight Parfait’, and ‘Banana Split’. Leaves have wide foliar margins in ivory-yellow tones contrasting beautifully against deep green and purple-pink bloom clusters. ‘Alba’ features crisp white flowers.

Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’

‘Carol Mackie’ is a low-growing deciduous daphne with beautiful foliage. Its gray-green leaves have creamy white margins, and the leaves hold well into December. A profusion of fragrant pale pink flower clusters emerges in late spring. The masses of tubular, star-shaped flowers carry a heady perfume that wafts through the garden. 

‘Carol Mackie’ is known for its striking variegated foliage and cold hardiness. It’s a sport (genetic mutation) of ‘Somerset’ named for Carol Mackie, who discovered it growing in her New Jersey garden in 1962. Plants are dense and rounded and reach two to three feet tall. Small and narrow leaves look fresh all season.

The parent plant D. x burkwoodii ‘Somerset’ is another wonderful flowering daphne variety and a hybrid developed by English plantsmen and brothers Albert and Arthur Burkwood in the early 1900s. A Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient, ‘Somerset’ produces creamy pink flowers in late spring, complementing the bright green leaves. Like ‘Carol Mackie’, the plants have a slow-growing, mounding habit.

Daphne x transatlantica ‘Eternal Fragrance’

‘Eternal Fragrance’ produces white flowers with a pink blush and golden centers from May to October. It flowers especially heavily in early spring and repeats sporadically throughout the seasons. The heavenly fragrance lasts with each successive bloom.

Daphne x transatlantica ‘Eternal Fragrance’ is a rounded shrub with open branching and a compact form at two to three feet tall. Its white flowers contrast beautifully with dark green elliptical leaves that are semi-evergreen, depending on the climate.

This Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit winner is a tidy little shrub whose repeat-flowering is ideal for making a significant impact in small garden spaces. D. x transatlantica is a cross between D. caucasica and D. collina. D. caucasica features cold hardy plants with upright growth, deciduous leaves, and white flowers that bloom in spring and summer. Deep pink blooms and an evergreen, compact habit distinguish D. collina.

‘Eternal Fragrance’ is an English introduction by skilled hybridizers Robin and Susan White. They sought an unfussy, more adaptable daphne for the home garden, and ‘Eternal Fragrance’ was the result. ‘Eternal Fragrance’ is hardy in zones 5-9.

Common Problems

Flowering daphne shrubs are relatively free of pests, though aphids or scale occur. Plants are sometimes susceptible to diseases like root and stem rot, which is usually a response to moisture or nutrient issues.

Ensuring proper cultural conditions and a diversity of garden plantings help mitigate pests and diseases by maintaining a balanced garden system. Attract beneficial insects to the garden for natural pest control.

Pests

The best way to control insects is to spot them early to minimize infestation.

In pest outbreaks, spray the plant with a strong stream of water to deter and knock insects off the stems. Do this in the morning so leaves dry in the early sun.

Mix a few drops of castile soap in a quart of water to make a simple spray treatment. A horticultural soap or oil can rid the plant of insects if an infestation occurs, but be sure to follow label directions, as these affect beneficial insects as well.

Diseases

As with pests, the best disease control is prevention through cultural conditions. In general, problem daphnes should be removed from the garden to minimize chemical treatments and promote the health of surrounding plants.

If your daphne shows signs of disease, remove and destroy affected plant parts and any dropped leaves. Horticultural oils like Neem can treat fungal diseases early (but again, these impact beneficial insects, so be sure to follow application requirements). It’s best to remove plants with severe infestations.

Frequently Asked Questions