Habitat

• of hybrid origin
• a cross between D. caucasica and D. cneorum
• hardy to zone 4

Habit and Form

• a small, semi-evergreen shrub
• 3' to 4' tall
• rounded to spreading
• dense and twiggy habit
• old plants can sprawl a bit under the weight of their own branches

Summer Foliage

• alternate arranged leaves
• simple, semi-evergreen leaves
• lanceolate to oblanceolate leaves
• 4 to 5 cm long and 0.5 to 1 cm wide
• dull, blue-green leaf color
• stems are fairly densely covered with leaves

Autumn Foliage

• no fall color, semi-evergreen

Flowers

• pink buds
• pale pink to white flowers
• flowers are clustered in umbels
• individual flowers are 0.5"across
• bloom time is May and June
• strongly fragrant
• may reflower in early fall

Fruit

• small red berries
• fruit noticeable in late summer and fall
• fruit is poisonous to mammals

Bark

• light gray to tan
• relatively smooth

Culture

• transplant from containers
• requires excellent soil drainage, relatively low fertility and consistent moisture
• pH near neutral
• references indicate the need for limestone soil and high pH, but the validity of this belief remains unclear
• partial shade to full sun

Landscape Use

• foundation plant
• for fragrance
• specimen
• rock garden
• shrub border
• for flowering effect

Liabilities

• foliage and fruit are poisonous
• can be difficult to transplant
• daphne frequently dies suddenly and without prior indication
• demands perfect soil drainage for success

ID Features

• pale pink flowers are clustered in umbels
• flowers fragrant
• short internodes and buds crowded on stem
• semievergreen foliage
• foliage dull, bluish-green
• small red fruit in fall

Propagation

• by cuttings
• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

'Arthur Burkwood' - This is one of the original two seedling to resulted from the hybrid cross. It grows to about 3' tall.

'Briggs Moonlight' - This is a sport from 'Somerset' in which the majority of the center part of the leaf is yellow and the edge is green. It needs some shade and lacks the vigor of other variegated cultivars with a greater percentage of green tissue.

'Carol Mackie' - This form has creamy white margins on the leaves that contrast nicely with the dark green central leaf portions. It is a popular cultivar with a nice variegation pattern and it grows vigorously.

'Silveredge' -This cultivar has leaves edged with white and pink flowers.

'Somerset' - A plant that grows to about 4' tall, this is one of the original two seedlings from the hybrid cross. It is a a vigorous cultivar that grows wider than tall.