MUST HAVE plants
These scented shrubs are renowned for offering winter perfume, but others bloom on into summer
Daphne’s exquisite perfume makes it a choice shrub that’s truly indispensable to any lovers of garden fragrance. Most daphne flowers last for months and plants look handsome for much of the year, with their combination of shapely form and glossy, usually evergreen foliage. Although their reputation for being fickle plants to grow is justly deserved, these enchanting shrubs are totally worth the effort and occasional disappointment. Careful siting, thorough soil preparation and choosing the right variety goes along way towards success. While only a handful of species and hybrids are commonly grown, the genus Daphne numbers around 50 species, from a habitat range including Europe, North Africa and temperate and subtropical Asia. The UK has two native species: mezereon (Daphne mezereum) and spurge laurel (D. laureola). These are total opposites in looks: mezereon is showy, with bare branches wreathed in purple-pink blossom, while spurge laurel is a quietly sophisticated woodlander with lime-green flowers and shiny dark evergreen foliage. Most daphnes are evergreen or semi-evergreen and flowering time runs over three seasons, depending on variety. Two of the most popular species and their hybrids are Daphne bholua and D. odora.
The former originates from the Himalayas at heights of more than 2000m and is tall-growing; it braves harsh weather to bloom in winter and early spring. ‘Darjeeling’ is among the first to bloom, as early as November, cheering both to the gardener’s heart and to wildlife. Mine is popular with bees on mild winter days, and I’ve never forgotten the sight of several large ‘Jacqueline Postill’ at RHS Garden Rosemoor on a sunny day in March, smothered in red admiral butterflies newly emerged from hibernation. Daphne odora and its varieties are smaller and rounded in habit and herald the arrival of spring with masses of pinky-purple blooms. Recent daphne breeding has created some exciting new varieties, including the aptly named ‘Perfume Princess’ and ‘Eternal Fragrance’.
Most daphnes are ‘Goldilocks’ plants, needing to be not too wet or dry, nor too hot or too cold, and shelter from cold winds is essential. The ideal soil is the gardeners’ Holy Grail of moisture-retentive yet well-drained, neither too acid nor too alkaline. Added to these demands are their cost (high, due to t
