Winter daphne

Questions about winter daphne

Does winter daphne need sun or shade?

Winter daphne grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does winter daphne grow in?

USDA zones 7 to 9. It is hardy to zone 7, which means it survives winter nights down to about 10 °F (−12 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does winter daphne flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early February to late March. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should winter daphne be planted?

3½ ft (100 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 4 ft (120 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 4 ft (120 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many winter daphne plants do I need?

At 3½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 1 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 3 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as one, with clear ground around it: a feature plant is seen as an object, and a group of them is a thicket.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is winter daphne poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts, especially the berries, are highly poisonous if eaten. The sap can irritate skin.

Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like winter daphne?

These come closest to doing what winter daphne does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Holly osmanthus 'Goshiki': the same job in a bed; 12 in taller, 8 in wider.
• Dwarf Japanese cedar: the same job in a bed and the same size; grown for its leaves, not its flowers, fine leaves, not medium.
• Dwarf Hinoki cypress: the same job in a bed; 12 in taller, 4 in narrower.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat winter daphne?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after winter daphne?

Winter daphne is over by late March. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Lenten rose: from late March to early May, 18 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems (a recorded partner).
• Daffodil: from mid April to early May, 16 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Reblooming azalea: from mid April to mid May, 3½ ft tall.

What does winter daphne look like in winter?

Winter daphne keeps its dark green and variegated leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone. It is grown for winter fragrance beside an entrance as well.

Is winter daphne good for bees and butterflies?

Winter daphne is visited by pollinators, bees, butterflies and moths.