Daphne odora seed

LATIN NAME: DAPHNE ODORA

COMMON NAME: Winter Daphne

The winter daphne incense the rounded, evergreen shrub with the glossy, dark-green leaves edged with the pale cream and the dense clusters of the small, tubular, rosy-pink flowers that open through the winter and the early spring, the whole shrub carrying the rich, sweet scent that carries across the garden. The flowers open in the coldest weeks, and they fill the air with the perfume. The shrub keeps the tidy, rounded habit, and it stands the cold well. It likes the part shade, and the cool, leafy, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

In the daphne family, the winter-flowering forms have a recognised place in the fragrance research, and the odorous species appears in the studies of the floral scent chemistry and the cold-season bloom. The chemists value the sweet aromatic compounds, while the horticulturists note the way the flowers open in the coldest weeks. The seed biology fills out the picture, and the collectors of the winter-flowering shrubs keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the shaded garden, the winter daphne incenses the cold air. The rosy-pink clusters scent the garden through the winter, the neat, glossy form takes the place of honour near the door and the path, and the bark and the stems have served the traditional preparations and the fine papers for the ages. It grows well in the cool, leafy, sheltered ground. Fragrant, evergreen and winter-blooming.

To grow the Winter Daphne from seed,

Press the seeds into the moist, gritty surface of the seed tray, then cover them lightly, keep the tray in the cool, shaded spot and water gently

Keep the tray cool and just damp, and leave the seedlings undisturbed through the first winter. The scent comes in the second or third year.

. The seedlings appear at their own pace, and they grow on slowly at first. Settle the young shrubs in the part shade and the cool, leafy ground, and the pink clusters will incense the winters over the years.

They are super fragrant and on slightly warmer winter days a reasonable size plant can be smelt from a good distance away. This plant can be used in a mixed planting or as a stand alone specimen in the garden. If possible plant close to where you will pass regularly in winter, a front or back door location is often a favourite. Can be grown in a pot or other container as long as you ensure the pot is always moist and drains freely. Well crocked unglazed clay pots raised a centimetre or so off the ground are best as they allow moisture and air to pass through the pot. Position to keep the plant in as much sun as possible but shade the roots. Use a good quality John Innes compost as this plant will be there a long time and peaty types of compost eventually degrade, become too packed and choke the roots. I would recommend adding an additional approximate 20\x25 horticultural grit to the compost for improved drainage. Ensure you feed regularly as a hungry plant is a poor performer.