Jewelled Daphne

A compact daphne from SW China, Daphne gemmata is a small, slow-growing, borderline hardy, deciduous shrub, with a rounded, bushy habit, so is good in the smaller garden in mild areas. The long, ovoid, slightly pointed leaves are bright green. In April and May, into June, this plant carries tubular flowers, splaying out to five little petals, of delightful, clear yellow, scented flowers, jewel-like, in terminal clusters. These are followed by red berries in autumn. It is best left unpruned. Dead-head jewelled daphne regularly.

Site: Sheltered
Soil: Any light, even stony, moist but well-drained soil
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Season of interest: Late spring and early summer in particular
Hardiness: Borderline hardy (to --5 ºC)
Height: 2’6”- 3’3” (75cm-1m) Spread: 2’6”- 3’3” (75cm-1m) in 5-10 years

Photo by Burkhard Mücke and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.