Scientific name: Daphne mezereum
Family: THYMELAEACEAE
Common names: “February daphne” “dwarf bay” “lady’s laurel” “mezereum” “mysterious plant” “spurge flax” “spurge olive”
Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
Conditions:
Zone: 5-8
Light: Full sun – semi-shade
Exposure: Sheltered
Soil: Any moderately fertile humus rich soil
Moisture: Evenly moist well drained
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 4′ W 3′
Leaf and Stem shape: Oblanceolate, dull grey-green leaves on short stalks, to 9cm long
Flower: Fragrant reddish-purple flowers in stalkless clusters of 2 and 4, followed by red berries, blooms Feb – April before leaves
Pruning: Keep pruning to a minimum
Maintenance: Mulch, and don’t transplant!
Landscape use: Flower beds, cottage gardens and informal gardens
Propagate: By cuttings, layering, grafting and seed
Pests & Disease: Prone to fungal diseases, crown rot, root rot, leaf spot, if in a poorly drained area
*Deer resistant
Comments: Gawky stiff plant when young, forms paler or white flowers, all parts of the plant are poisonous
Cultivars: D. m. ‘Alba’ – has white flowers
