Early Spring Featured
Plant
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Daphne mezereum
var. album
February Daphne
When winter has been long and cold,
early blooming shrubs are a particularly welcome sight. Now add
a wonderful fragrance and you will understand the value of Daphne
mezereum var. album. February Daphne's sweet, but not
cloying, scent is produced by clusters of ½" wide white
flowers that clothe the stems in early spring. Despite its name,
February Daphne blooms in late March to early April on the previous
year's growth. Flowering takes place just before the leaves appear.
In fact, the bright green young growth often starts to show before
the shrub finishes blooming.
February Daphne
in the Chapel Garden
with the college gate in the background.
The species Daphne mezereum
has purple-pink flowers followed by scarlet berries, while Daphne
mezereum var. album bears white flowers, which are followed
by yellow fruits. Birds find the berries delectable, but the seeds
are poisonous.
Daphne mezereum
var.
album
bears sweetly scented clusters of white flowers.
Daphne mezereum
var. album is a medium height shrub growing about 3-5 feet
tall and equally as wide. The habit is rather stiff, and with time,
February Daphne will become leggy. A good location for this daphne
is a mixed border with perennials or smaller woody plants to hide
the "naked legs" of this shrub. February Daphne grows
best in well-drained, moisture retentive, calcareous soil, with
some shade during the hottest part of the day. But do plant Daphne
mezereum var. album in a location that allows you to
smell its delightful fragrance.
Although a somewhat leggy shrub, the springtime scent of Daphne
mezereum var. album makes it a valued member of the garden.
February Daphne is a woodland native of Europe
and Siberia, and the white form can be found in the wild as well.
Daphne mezereum var. album may currently be seen in
bloom in the Chapel Garden.
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