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Shrubs

Daphne caucasica

Caucasian daphne

A slow-growing deciduous shrub, up to around 1.5m high, with narrowly oval-shaped green leaves. Clusters of small, fragrant white flowers are produced at the tips of the stems in late spring and early summer, sometimes with a second flush in early autumn. Flowers are sometimes followed by small yellow-brown fruits

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–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 the UK: 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 fertile, moist but well-drained soils that don't dry out. Mulch to keep roots cool. Plants resent transplanting, and prefer being planted in the ground rather than containers. See daphne cultivation for more details

Propagation

Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings in summer, or by grafting in winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

See pruning group 1; pruning is best kept 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

Get involved

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