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Shrubs

Daphne arbuscula

shrubby daphne

D. arbuscula is a rounded dwarf evergreen shrub to 15cm tall, with narrowly oblong, dark glossy green leaves to 18mm long. Flowers deep pink, very fragrant, in dense clusters at the ends of the shoots in late spring and early summer

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Thymelaeaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Matforming
Potentially harmful: All parts toxic by ingestion and may irritate skin. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Daphne can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs with small, usually very fragrant tubular, 4-lobed flowers, often followed by colourful berries
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Czech Rep. Hungary Slovakia

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, humus-rich well-drained but not dry soil. Mulch to keep roots cool. Prefers slightly acid to slightly alkaline soil in full sun. Resents transplanting

Propagation

Propagate by seed in containers in a cold frame as soon as ripe. Insert softwood cuttings in early to mid-summer, and semi-ripe and evergreen cuttings in mid or late summer. Graft in winter or layer in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Gravel garden
Rock garden
City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pruning group 1 or pruning group 8, keep pruning to a minimum

Pests

Young growth may be affected by aphids

Diseases

For leaf spot problems see leaf damage on woody plants; grey moulds and virus diseases may be troublesome

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Daphne arbuscula

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