What is the best scented flower for winter?

It’s official, I have a passion for daphnes and in my opinion these are the best plants for scented flower in late winter. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not new to me. But they seem to have come back into my life and my garden!

When I was much younger, back in the 1970s, the only daphne that I’d seen was the mezereon (D. mezereum). Perhaps surprisingly it’s a British native, occasionally found on chalky or limey soils in woodland. It produces bright pink, waxy, fragrant flowers on rigid upright stems and bears bright red berries containing seed from which new plants can be easily grown.

In those days they were sometimes offered for sale at our local market at Fakenham, in Norfolk. So I bought one and grew it on the thin, chalky soil of my mum and dad’s garden for around 7 years, after which it gave up the ghost. This particular species does tend to be short lived – all the more reason to collect the berries and sow some seed as a back up.

Is daphne evergreen?

The mezereon also loses its leaves in winter, but most other daphnes that can be grow in the UK are evergreen. And, by comparison, the majority of them are reliably long lived! They have leathery leaves which stay on the plants for a year or two, before the oldest ones at the base fall from the plants, usually in summer. The majority of these evergreen daphnes bear plain green leaves but there are a few variegated forms such as D. odora ‘Aureomarginata’.

This was, then, the second type of daphne I encountered. It was when I was a horticulture student at Writtle Agricultural College (subsequently Writtle College and now part of Anglia Ruskin University). And here it was growing on heavy Essex clay, in a sunny sheltered spot. In these coditions it flowered its socks off during March and scented the air on warm, sunny days, cementing itself in my mind as one of the best scented flowers.

Are daphne plants hardy?

The sheltered place in which that Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ grew gave us, as students, the impression that these plants were tender. In fact, back then, they were considered to be prone to very cold winter weather, and rather delicate. But I now realise that it is more the combination of cold and wet which they don’t like.

Look on the Royal Horticultural Society’s hardiness rating for this particular daphne, and it suggest it is tough enough to survive down to -10C. This means it is pretty much able to survive in the majority of situations in Britain and Ireland. Perhaps the only exceptions are in very elevated and exposed spots.

Where does daphne grow best?

Although most daphnes are tough enough to survive frost, they do still appreciate a sheltered position. This means out of the path of strong winds – from any direction. A spot close to a warm wall or sheltered by other shrubs is ideal. But I also find that they don’t always relish the hottest, sunniest spots in our gardens – with the exception of D. cneorum and D. arbuscula.

All the others thrive in shade for part of the day, or under the dappled shade of light tree cover. And it is in this latter situation where I grow them and find that they really do their best. The same is true in one of my clients’ gardens, where two beautiful specimens of Daphne bholua grow amongst trees and large shrubs quite happily.

And it has been in this species that I’ve discovered my real passion for this genus of plants. These large growing daphnes are truly spectacular when mature and in full bloom. Their scent can carry many metres on a mild day and the massed flowers are a sight to behold. One of the most readily available varieties of D. bholua is one called ‘Jacqueline Postill’ and I now have a few of these dotted around the garden in dappled shade.

But there are lots of other varieties, with flowers varying between pink and pinky-mauve, through to white. And on a recent trip up to Norfolk, I visited West Acre Gardens where I saw a gleaming white variety that was completely new to me, called D. bholua ‘Garden House Ghost’. This selection was made at The Garden House, in Devon, hence the name.

For more serious shade, our other native daphne, the spurge laurel (D. laureola) is quite at home. It’s flowers are greenish and pretty much hidden amongst the foliage. However, their honey-sweet fragrance can still scent the air when it’s warm.

And, as with all daphnes, they are a good source of nectar for bees and other insects early in the year. This makes them great seasonal companions to a whole host of other late-winter and early spring flowering plants.

Does daphne need special soil?

Daphne shrubs will grow in pretty much any soil except where it is very waterlogged, or in extremely sandy conditions. Ideally the soil should be that oft-quoted ideal combination  of ‘free-draining yet moisture-retentive’. It pays to improve all soils before planting daphnes so that they get off to a good start and produce the best scented flowers for winter.

Do this by adding plenty of well-rotted garden compost to the hole at planting time. In addition, the larger types of daphne will benefit from a mulch of compost around the base of the plants in spring. This should be around 2.5-5cm (1-2in.) deep and extending 30cm (12in.) from the main stem in all directions. Make sure that the mulch does not tough the main stem, however.

Can you grow daphne in pots?

The smaller types of daphne can be grown in pots, making sure that they are potted up gradually so as not to become rootbound. In maturity they benefit from being in large pots so that the roots remain cool. And to this end it is important that they are not sited in full sun, rather a position in part or dappled shade where they won’t get hot at midday.

The medium- and large-sized daphnes, however, are much more suited to growing in the ground rather than pots. It helps prevent them from drying out at the roots in the summer. This applies to D. odora ‘Aureomarginata’ and D. mezereum, as well as D. bholua. Meanwhile the latter, and its varieties, will produce a mix of deep and fibrous roots to keep these tall shrubs firmly anchored and upright.

How tall do daphne plants grow?

Daphnes vary in height according to their species. The small, compact types such as D. cneorum or garland flower may only grows to 20cm (8in.) in height. Meanwhile I have seen mature specimens of D. bholua up to 5m (15ft.) in an open woodland situation. Check out the different species and varieties on the Royal Horticultural Society’s website or see the selection on BBC Gardeners’ World.

So join me in my passion for daphnes, and in a few winters’ time you’ll be sniffing the air and drinking in their winter scent.