How to grow daphnes

What are daphnes?

Daphnes are shrubs with highly fragrant flowers. They bloom at various times of year, depending on the species. Most are evergreen, keeping their leaves all year, or semi-evergreen, losing some of their leaves over winter, especially in cold locations.

They are usually fairly compact, slow growing and need little ongoing maintenance.

How and what to buy

You can buy daphnes from garden centres and online suppliers, including RHS Plants. They are sold in 2 litre pots and upwards.

They are usually grafted, which makes them relatively expensive to buy, so it’s worth taking care to select and plant them carefully.

To explore the various species and cultivars, go to RHS Find a Plant. Search for ‘Daphne’ to browse the photographs and plant descriptions, and find out where to buy them.

Check plant labels or descriptions carefully before you buy, to make sure the cultivar

Gardeners often use the word variety when referring to a specific plant, but the correct botanical term is 'cultivar'. Whichever word you use, it means a distinctive plant or plants, given a specific cultivar name and usually bred to enhance certain characteristics, such as flower or fruit size, colour, flavour or fragrance, plant size, hardiness, disease resistance, etc. Additionally, it is worth knowing that, botanically, variety has another meaning - it refers to a naturally-occurring distinct plant that only has slight differences in its looks. For example, Malva alcea var. fastigiata differs from typical plants by having an upright habit.

will like your garden’s conditions. Most don’t respond well to being moved once established.

Also make sure the plant is suitable for the amount of space you have available – plant labels should give the ultimate height and spread. It’s best not to prune daphnes, as they don’t usually recover well.

How to choose healthy plants

Guide to buying shrubs and trees

Where to plant

Plant daphnes where you can enjoy their scent to the full – near your front door, garden gate, path or patio. If you plant several different types, you can have fragrance almost all year round.

Depending on the species, daphnes suit most styles of garden, both formal and informal, traditional or contemporary. They work well in mixed borders, shrub borders, woodland areas and rock gardens. Most are compact and slow growing, so ideal for small gardens.

Daphnes generally prefer to be in the ground (rather than in containers), where they like:

• Well-drained but moisture-retentive soil that contains plenty of organic matter. They won’t tolerate drought or waterlogging. See our guide to soil types
• Neutral to slightly alkaline soil
  

  The acidity/alkalinity of soil is measured on a pH scale, which runs from 0 to 14. Neutral soil has a pH of 7. Alkaline (lime-rich) soil has a pH above 7, and the higher the pH, the more alkaline the soil. Chalky or limestone soils are alkaline. You can measure your soil pH using a simple testing kit. If you have alkaline soil, choose plants that will thrive in it – acid-loving or ericaceous plants such as rhododendrons will not. Club root disease (which affects brassicas) is less prevalent in alkaline soil.

  – see our guide to assessing your soil pH
• A sheltered position in partial shade, or in sun if the roots are shaded

How to identify your garden's growing conditions

If you don’t have ideal conditions, there may still be some daphnes you can grow:

• Heavy soil – grow in a raised bed, which will provide better drainage. Daphne laureola and D. mezereum may cope in heavy soil
  

  Also known as clay soil. It is dense and slightly sticky, made of fine clay particles, and can be heavy and difficult to dig. It often drains poorly after rain and warms up slowly in spring, but is usually fertile and holds water well.

  , but dig in plenty of organic matter such as well-rotted garden compost
  

  Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost:

  
  • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

  or manure before planting
• Chalky soil – D. mezereum is the most tolerant
• Full sun – choose dwarf species such as D. arbuscula andD. cneorum
• Deep shade – is fine for D. laureola. Once established it will even cope in dry shade under trees
• Cold site – D. mezereum and D. odora are the most hardy
• Containers – most daphnes are deep rooted, so don’t generally grow well in containers, but smaller alpine daphnes (such as D. arbuscula) should be fine. Use deep containers

When to plant

Daphnes establish best when planted in early spring.

How to plant

• With grafted plants, bury the graft union at least 5cm (2in) below soil level – this will encourage better rooting and improve vigour
• After planting, mulch
  

  Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb). It is used to provide frost protection, improve plant growth by adding nutrients or increasing organic matter content, reducing water loss from the soil, for decorative purposes and suppressing weeds. Examples include well-rotted garden compost and manure, chipped bark, gravel, grit and slate chippings.

  with plenty of organic matter, such as garden compost. This will help to hold moisture in the soil, which is especially important on free-draining, sandy soil, as daphnes won’t tolerate drying out

For step-by-step planting instructions, see our guide to planting shrubs.

Bear in mind that daphnes are highly toxic and the sap

Sap is a fluid that circulates through a plant's vascular system, in a similar way to blood moving through our veins. Phloem sap carries the sugars produced in the leaves by photosynthesis down to roots and other storage organs, as well as carrying minerals and hormones. Xylem sap is watery and transports nutrients absorbed by the roots upwards to the rest of the plant. Some plants leak sap from wounds or pruning cuts, and this is known as bleeding.

can irritate skin, so it’s advisable to wear gloves when handling them.

Planting in containers

• Smaller alpine species, such as D. arbuscula and D. petraea, can be grown in containers
• Choose a deep container and use an equal-parts mix of peat-free John Innes No 3, peat-free multipurpose compost and coarse sharp sand

  Sharp sand is washed, gritty sand used in potting compost mixes, This is sold for gardening and is not the same as builders sharp sand.

• The roots need to be kept cool, so place containers where they won't get baked in hot sun

Watering

• After planting, water as needed for at least the first year, until well established
• After that, daphne should only need watering in dry spells
• In fast-draining or dry soils (such as sandy soil), or areas of low rainfall, aditional water may be needed in summer
• In containers, dwarf daphnes can dry out quickly, so need will need watering on an ongoing basis
• Avoid overwatering, as daphnes don’t like sitting in soggy soil

Tips on collecting and recycling water

Feeding

• Daphnes are generally slow growing and deep rooted, so shouldn't need feeding.
• With alpine daphnes in containers, you can apply a foliar feed two or three times during the growing season
  

  The period of time when an individual plant is in active growth. This will depend on the local climate and light levels, and can vary between different plants, although it is broadly from spring to autumn.

  (April to September).
• Top-dress containers in early spring by removing the top 5cm (2in) of compost
  

  Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost:

  
  • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

  and replacing with fresh compost. See our guide to container maintenance.

Mulching

• After planting, spread a generous mulch of garden compost over the soil surface. This will help to hold moisture in the soil and deter weed germination
  

  Germination is the process by which a seed develops into a new plant. It starts with the seed coat absorbing water, expanding and splitting, which allows oxygen and water into the seed so its food reserves can be broken down and used by the embryo for growth. The first root (called the radicle) pushes into the soil to anchor the new plant in place and start absorbing water and nutrients. The first shoot (called the plumule) then grows upwards, out of the soil, towards the light.

  .
• Leave a gap of 7.5cm (3in) around the base of the stem, to avoid rotting.
• In subsequent years, apply mulch
  

  Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb). It is used to provide frost protection, improve plant growth by adding nutrients or increasing organic matter content, reducing water loss from the soil, for decorative purposes and suppressing weeds. Examples include well-rotted garden compost and manure, chipped bark, gravel, grit and slate chippings.

  every spring, to damp soil, to keep the roots cool over summer.

Overwintering

• Most daphnes are hardy, but prefer a warm, sheltered spot.
• Dwarf daphnes in containers can be moved to a sheltered location over winter, such as at the base of a south- or west-facing wall. Don’t let the compost get waterlogged
  

  Describes soil or potting compost that is saturated with water. The water displaces air from the spaces between soil particles and plant roots can literally drown, unless they are adapted to growing in waterlogged conditions. Waterlogging is common on poorly drained soil or when heavy soil is compacted.

  .
• Semi-evergreen species, such as D. bholua, may lose some or all of their leaves in cold winters. This does no long-term harm, and new leaves will be produced in spring.

It is best not to prune daphnes at all, as it will often result in die-back. So when buying, it’s important to choose a plant that won’t outgrow the amount of space you have available.

Daphnes tend to grow slowly, so pruning is rarely necessary, except to remove damaged or dead stems. This should be done in early spring or shortly after flowering – see our guide to light pruning.

If you do need to prune daphnes, be aware that the sap

Sap is a fluid that circulates through a plant's vascular system, in a similar way to blood moving through our veins. Phloem sap carries the sugars produced in the leaves by photosynthesis down to roots and other storage organs, as well as carrying minerals and hormones. Xylem sap is watery and transports nutrients absorbed by the roots upwards to the rest of the plant. Some plants leak sap from wounds or pruning cuts, and this is known as bleeding.

can be a skin irritant, so always wear gloves.

Daphnes are generally slow and tricky to propagate. Commercially grown plants are usually grafted, which is a skilled process. However, this also makes them quite expensive, so growing new plants yourself can save money, especially if you want several.

The main methods are:

• Semi-ripe heel cuttings – taken in mid to late summer
• Layering – suitable for species with low branches, such as D. cneorum, but it can take several years
• Sowing seeds – germination
  

  Germination is the process by which a seed develops into a new plant. It starts with the seed coat absorbing water, expanding and splitting, which allows oxygen and water into the seed so its food reserves can be broken down and used by the embryo for growth. The first root (called the radicle) pushes into the soil to anchor the new plant in place and start absorbing water and nutrients. The first shoot (called the plumule) then grows upwards, out of the soil, towards the light.

  can take at least two years, and with named cultivars the offspring may differ from the parent plant. But it’s a simple process – remove the seeds from ripe fleshy fruits and sow in gritty, peat-free seed compost
  

  Seed compost is a free-draining compost formulated for germinating seed. It often contains a mix of fine materials including sterilised loam, coir, coarse sand or grit. It contains low levels of nutrients, as high levels could damage seedlings.

  . Place in a sheltered, shady spot or coldframe to germinate. For full details, see our guide to growing shrubs from seed
• Whip
  

  A young tree that is just a slender stem and hasn’t yet produced side branches. Fruit trees and hedging may be available as whips, around 50cm tall. They are cheaper and easier to transport than larger, more mature plants and should root in to the surrounding soil and settle in quickly.

  grafting in late winter – this can be a tricky process, so try it if you want a challenge

How to collect and store seeds

Guide to propagation techniques

Daphnes aren’t generally attacked by pests, but they can suffer from a range of other problems, including:

• sudden die-back or yellowing of the foliage, often due to too much or too little moisture, or nutrient deficiencies.
• establishment problems
• leaf browning
• waterlogging
• nutrient deficiency leading to yellowing foliage, especially on alkaline soil
  

  The acidity/alkalinity of soil is measured on a pH scale, which runs from 0 to 14. Neutral soil has a pH of 7. Alkaline (lime-rich) soil has a pH above 7, and the higher the pH, the more alkaline the soil. Chalky or limestone soils are alkaline. You can measure your soil pH using a simple testing kit. If you have alkaline soil, choose plants that will thrive in it – acid-loving or ericaceous plants such as rhododendrons will not. Club root disease (which affects brassicas) is less prevalent in alkaline soil.

  . Apply a chelated iron feed
• honey fungus
• root rot
• fungal leaf spot
• virus infections – especially Daphne laureola, D. mezereum and D. odora

Guide to preventing pests and diseases

How to control pests and diseases without chemicals