Daphnes - Species & Hybrids

Daphnes are well known for their very fragrant tubular flowers and are evergreen, semi-evergreen or deciduous shrubs. All are frost hardy. Most need full sun or dappled shade.

Cultivation

All daphnes require a well-drained soil, this is not to be confused with poor moisture retaining soils or composts. One of the easiest ways to kill daphnes is for them to be planted in a medium which dries out too rapidly. Humus of some sort should be present within the soil or compost to maintain reasonable moisture levels around the plant roots. Daphnes on the whole prefer an open aspect in full sun, provided of course they are not in danger of drying out. Daphne pontica and Daphne. laureola prefer partial shade, but would tolerate more open situations if not sun-baked. It's probably useful to remember that most daphnes being alpine plants in the wild, have their roots going deep down through rocks which whilst providing sharp drainage also keep the roots cool and moist. Occasional dressings of bone meal in early spring is the only feeding required.

Propagation

Various methods can be used to propagate Daphnes, but the easiest by far for the amateur is seed. A race often develops between the gardener and the birds keen to collect his or her ripe fruit. Not all daphnes however, produce seed in any quantity. Other propagation methods e.g. cuttings or layering are other options, but all methods require much patience. The only method we have used to date is by seed and that method took nearly an eighteen month wait for germination. They say patience is a virtue, well daphnes certainly sort out the 'sheep from the goats'.

Seed germination in most cases requires the seed to undergo a process called stratification, whereby the seed(s) are exposed to periods of low temperatures in moist not dry conditions. This can be achieved in various ways, the easiest is placing the seed in a pot in a ordinary domestic fridge within layers of moist sand or compost. Three months of this should in most cases suffice. Alternatively, the seed of course can be placed outside during the winter months. It should also be pointed out that the 'flesh' of the fruit should be removed first.

Pests

The main daphne troubles encountered come from viruses and various fungus. D. odora, D. mezereum, D. laureola and D. pontica seem to be most affected. It is often said that daphnes are not long lived. I can only say that we had two D. mezereums flourishing in our garden in England for nearly twenty years, so this would seem at best to be too facile an explanation. More likely, a combination of factors will contribute to the sudden 'die back' of a much loved plant. For example, poor nutrition, dryness at the roots, virus attack, frost damage and leaf spot attack in varying combinations. There is no satisfactory cure for virus attack and the plants should be destroyed. Any 'die back' should be pruned out to live wood. One should also bear in mind that Honey Fungus is rife in some areas and indeed could be brought into the garden directly via recent plant purchases.

Site Disclaimer

This is an Amazon storefront. The products referenced on this site are manufactured and sold by parties other than GardenAllsorts.com. GardenAllsorts.com makes no representations regarding either the products or any information vendors offer about their products. Any questions, complaints, or claims regarding the products must be directed to the appropriate manufacturer, vendor or to Amazon.co.uk

"CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON EU S.à.r.l. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME."

Return to Top of Page