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Shrubs

Daphne mezereum var. rubra

red mezereon

A deciduous, rounded shrub with lance-shaped green leaves. Highly fragrant flowers usually appear before the leaves in late winter to early spring, and are purplish-pink with yellowy-orange centres, clustered closely in twos and threes from buds on the twigs.

Synonyms

Daphne mezereum 'Rubrum'

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Loam

Chalk

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

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 GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: TOXIC if eaten, skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling TOXIC to pets - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
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

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained but not dry soil in sun or part shade. Mulch to keep roots cool. Establishes best if planted in the spring, resents transplanting so do not move once established

Propagation

Propagate by seed in containers in a cold frame as soon as ripe. Propagate by softwood cuttings in early to midsummer and semi-ripe heel cuttings in mid or late summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

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

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), phytophthora root rot, fungal leaf spot and virus diseases

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