Match for Jack Frost
They might be small and unshowy but daphnes bring a sweet fragrance to any garden, writes David Overend.
Daphnes are one of those jewels that flower in midwinter and spring – seemingly whatever the weather – so they should be welcomed with open arms by the Northern gardener. Daphne mezereum, whose sweet, fragrant flowers seem to thrive in January’s bitter frosts, has a home in many a garden, but there is another member of this illustrious family that can – and often does – start to bloom even earlier, particularly if it has a site where it can gain protection from cold winter winds.
Daphne odora rubra is a slightly tender evergreen, surviving best where it can find shelter and make the most of what little sun there is at this time of the year. It’s not fussy about soil, as long as it’s not heavy clay and too wet. An annual mulch is much appreciated. This is not a showy shrub and it can be a bit temperamental in its early years, but plant it in light shade and let it establish itself and its superb scent will fill the garden.
You’ll more than likely smell the plant before you even see it – the fragrance is so strong that even the most gentle of breezes will carry it throughout the neighbourhood.
Daphne odora rubra is also excellent as a cut flower – the shortish stems make it ideal for bringing indoors, popping into a small vase and leaving to perfume a room, if not the whole house.
It rarely grows to more than one metre in height and the same in width, so it’s a good choice for those with a smaller garden.
It will even grow where there’s quite a lot of shade, although it may not flower quite so vigorously.
Once planted, leave it where it is – daphnes do not like having their roots disturbed – and keep pruning to an absolute minimum, simply removing dead, damaged or straggly growth.
There is also a variegated form of the shrub – D odora “Variegata” – whose foliage is splashed with yellow and whose blooms are almost purple.
For something even smaller in the daphne family, there’s D cneorum, a trailing little evergreen shrub that bursts into bloom in late spring – and, once again, the flowers are scented.
And for something a bit bigger, choose D burkwoodii, which grows to a height of three feet and which has delicate, fragrant pink flowers.