A delightfully fragrant winter-flowering shrub, winter daphne adds evergreen interest to garden beds and borders.
Its pink, magenta, or lavender flowers open in small clusters at the tips of the shrubs branches.
Many varieties of winter daphne have variegated or two-tone leaves that give the shrub year-round interest.
Credit:Doug Hetherington
Here’s how to grow winter daphne in your garden.
Grow it along a walkway or patio so you might enjoy its delightful fragrance when it is in bloom.
Plant it near an entryway or anywhere you frequent in the landscape.
Credit: Mary Carolyn Pindar
Small cultivarsgrow well in small space gardensor containers.
Choose a part shade locationwithwell-draining soil.
This small shrub is great for the north or east side of your house.
Credit: Karlis Grants
Winter daphne grows 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, so give it plenty of space to expand.
Doug Hetherington
How and When to Plant Winter Daphne
Plant winter daphnein early spring or fall.
Dig a planting hole slightly larger than the plants root ball.
Credit: Robert Cardillo
Backfill the planting hole with native soil, tamping it down to remove air pockets.
Spread a 2-inch-thicklayer of mulchover the root zone and water the newly planted shrub well.
Winter Daphne Care Tips
Light
Winter daphne grows best in part shade.
Credit:Better Homes and Gardens
It thrives when it receives 4 to 6 hours ofbright sunlightin the morning and shade in the afternoon.
Soil and Water
Well-drained,loose soilis ideal for winter daphne.
It is especially sensitive to wet soil.
Credit: Sherry Lubic
Clay and boggy planting sites are not suitable for this evergreen.
After the shrub is established, only water the plants during extended dry spells.
Temperature and Humidity
Winter daphne tolerateshigh temperatures and humidity.
It is winter-hardy to about 10F and needs protection in colder areas.
Fertilizer
Winter daphne does not require fertilizer.
In early spring, you could provide additional nutrients by spreading a 2-inch-thick layer ofwell-decomposed compostover the root zone.
Potting and Repotting
Winter daphne grows in containers with excellent drainage.
Use a soilless planting mix and allow the shrub to dry out slightly between waterings.
It doesn’t transplant well, so avoid repotting.
Poorly drained soil is the chief landscape problem this easy-to-grow shrub encounters.
Choose the planting site carefully; the ideal soil is rich, loose loam.
How to Propagate Winter Daphne
Stem cuttingsare an easy way to make more winter daphne shrubs.
Strip any foliage from the bottom half of the cutting and dip it in rooting hormone.
Plant the cutting in fast-draining, soilless medium and keep the medium moist but not wet until roots form.
Transplant the rooted cutting into a larger container or directly into the landscape.
Water regularly until a robust root system is established.
The plants wide yellow leaf margins are striking in the landscape.
Itspink flower budsopen to white flowers.
Banana split daphne grows 4 feet tall and wide.
Zones 7-9
Maejima
Maejima winter daphne (Daphne odoraMaejima) is a showpiece in theshade garden.
It is prized for its yellow-green variegated foliage and profuse dark pink flowers that are highly fragrant.
It grows 3 feet tall and wide.
The foliage is boldly variegated; each leaf has a wide, creamy edge.
The showy leaves make it eye-catching all year round.
It grows 3 to 4 feet tall and wide.
Japanese Maple
The colorful foliage ofJapanese maplesmakes a stunningfocal point in the landscape.
Several varieties are available, including a dwarf Japanese maple.
All of them feature the vibrant foliage theJapanese mapleis known for.
Astilbe
Astilbeis an ornamental, fern-like plant that produces spikes of feathery flowers.
Its healthy foliage adds wonderful texture and color to a garden.
In spring, new foliage often emerges bright green with blushes of bronze.
Some varieties hold that color year-round, and others offer deep chocolate/burgundy foliage.
These plants grow as mounds and stay compact with no training.
They are relatively easy to care for and enjoy cool temperatures, but frost damages them.
They also come in tall shrub forms and even some small trees.
With hundreds of species and cultivars, the heaths provide a wide variety of colors and bloom times.
They handle shady locations well and brighten dark corners of the garden.
It doesnt tolerate being transplanted well, so locate it where you want the plant to stay.
Winter daphne is a slow grower that rarely needs pruning except to remove damaged branches.
The little flowers of winter daphne pack a big punch of floral scent combined with energizing notes of citrus.
Catching a whiff of these blooms signals the start of spring.
No, this plant is both deer and rabbit-resistant.
This makes the flower a great option for unfenced areas of your home.
No, winter daphne is not invasive.
North Carolina State University Extension Toolbox.
