The rest of the US is facing a wave of frigid weather, but in the deep south, warm temperatures have brought gardeners outdoors, where we are enjoying the scents and sights of Forsythia and all the sprig-flowering bulbs. The sweet scent of Daphne wafts over it all.

Daphne odora (pronounced DAF-nee oh-DOH-rah) or Winter Daphne is an evergreen shrub that grows to heights up to six feet in zones 7-9. In late winter, its rose and white flowers have a heavenly fragrance that makes gardeners forgive its propensity to die suddenly, without warning (known as the “Daphne Death Dance” among gardeners who have loved and lost it). Plant it in partial shade in moist, neutral pH soil that is very well drained and has plenty of organic matter. It lives longest when sited on a slope that ensures good drainage. It also does well in a container if sited in a protected area. ‘Aureo-marginata’ is a variegated form. Prune leggy plants after flowering is complete to keep them compact and attractive.

All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans