45 Plant Delights Nursery
October 15, 2021
47 High-Hand Nursery
November 23, 2021
Y ou think you got issues...I don’t even know where to begin explaining why I love Daphnes so absolutely much that it has become a bit of an obsession issue with me.
Maybe because they are evergreen and have bright shiny foliage of either solid green or green with eye-catching yellow or white margins.
Maybe because Daphne flowers—dark to light pink buds that open to pink or white or a pink/white mix—last for a good month and are to-die-for fragrant. All in the dead of winter!
Maybe because they come in so many sizes that I can always find one that fits any garden space perfectly—whether as a specimen or in groupings.
Or maybe because Daphnes are drought tolerant and I don't have to install irrigation (think root rot!) whether in the ground or in containers. (I do hit mine with some water though once a week during summer. Honestly, Daphne will tell you when she is thirsty.)
For sure I love them because the damn deer won’t eat them!
One drawback is that, once established, Daphnes do not like to be transplanted. She can be finicky in this regard, but it's well worth the effort to plan ahead and place her where she can stay put. She will give you so much in return!
So. Meet my Darling Issues...
Daphne odora ‘Aurea-marginata’ (Variegated Winter Daphne)
I share this Daphne first because it is one of the most common. You will find it practically in any nursery. There is nothing wrong with being common (well...not in this case) because the Variegated Winter Daphne is just as beautiful as all the others.
But! Because there ARE others, I must have them too.
Daphne odora ‘Maejima’
Acer (unknown dwarf)
I’ve had this Daphne for over 15 years. It's container is near a walkway. I placed it there so when I pass it daily—and when it's in bloom—I can take a whiff of her lovely scent.
Whenever you have a plant that needs some whiffing, here's a tip: keep it up close and personal.
TOP: Daphne odora ‘Rebecca’ in bloom
BOTTOM: Not in bloom
A few years ago when I came across Rebecca, she asked me to take her home with me. So I did.
She has the most yellow in her leaves of all Daphnes and—you must agree—is just as beautiful without blossoms. As if she's saying, "Who needs all the fluff and stuff?"
Daphne odora ‘Greenleaf Pink’
Greenleaf Pink came to me in August 2020 in a purchase from Wayside Gardens online. I have it growing among some of my other "issue" plants...the Hellebores.
Daphne odora ‘Moonlight Parfait’
The first Moonlight Parfait I purchased—which I installed at a client’s home about 2 years ago—cost $47.50 in a 3-gallon. That's a typical price for Daphnes.
The client liked it so much she asked for another one which I added in spring of this year (2021). But the second plant cost $75 for a 3-gallon! At the same nursery!!!! Holy moly, what happened?
COVID happened, of course. And homeowners—bored to death after a long year living as shut-ins—emerged in masses, swarmed the nurseries and bought out all the plants! This left growers with very little remaining in stock. Hence...virus-induced price increases.
And speaking of viruses, as you see above, the original Daphne recently started growing some unusual branches. This tells me that, more than likely, the plant has a virus. A virus will not usually kill a plant, you just simply remove the weird looking branches.
A sign of a more common virus is that a solid-green-leafed plant suddenly has variegated leaves.
Now here's a Daphne with white leaves edged with green. No virus in sight...
Daphne burkwoodii ‘Briggs Moonlight’
I came across Briggs Moonlight in 2016 at a place in Central Point, Oregon, called Cascade Nursery.
If you take a look at its website, Cascade looks like a neat and tidy nursery. But I'm here to tell you...if you go there in person, you'll see that, neat and tidy it ain’t! This place is about as messy as a nursery gets.
It was FANTASTIC!!
Plants everywhere you turn. Plants on tables, plants under tables, under trees, under shrubs. Plants even in the weeds. Just fabulous!! Similar to dumpster diving.
But Briggs Moonlight? I killed it. Replaced it. Killed it again. It's the cold. Has to be. My place gets too cold for it to survive. Because it can’t possibly be me to blame—not knowing what I'm doing. (Right?!)
Daphne x translantica 'Eternal Fragrance'
This unusual Daphne will put out pretty white blooms on and off all year long. However, though named Eternal Fragrance, its fragrance is rather weak until the weather cools.
I purchased the Daphnes below from Edelweiss Perennials —another online addiction.
Daphne arbuscula x cneorum
Daphne x susannae ‘Anton Fahdrich’
Daphne x napolitana ‘Bramdean’
Daphne x rollsdorfii ‘Wilhelm Schacht’
Daphne x susannae ‘Tage Lundell’
Daphne tangutica
All in all, I think Daphne issues are pretty good ones to have in a gardener's life...
Far more darling than the neighborhood bar.
Photos: Sheri Lynn Burke
