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Daphne mezereum

Common name: Mezereon Family: Thymelaeaceae
Author: L. Botanical references: 11, 17, 200
Synonyms:  
Known Hazards: All parts of the plant are highly toxic[7, 10, 19, 65]. Skin contact with the sap can cause dermatitis in some people[65, 200].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia to Spain, east to Macedonia and temperate Asia.
Habitat: Damp deciduous mixed woodlands and on rich calcareous soils[7, 17, 268].
Edibility Rating (1-5): 0Medicinal Rating (1-5):2

Other Possible Synonyms:From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
D. mezreum[E] Mezerei officinarum[H]
Other Common Names:From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
Daphne [E], February Daphne [H,L], Gnidianberry [E], Mezereon [H,E,L], Mezereum [L], Mezeryon [E], Paradise Plant [P], Paradise-plant [B], Rood Peperboompje [D],
Systematics:From a USDA Plants Database
Order: Myrtales. Mezereum family
Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database
Europe Spain Turkey Us

Physical Characteristics

A decidious shrub growing to 1.5m by 1.5m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from February to March, and the seeds ripen from June to August. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies and Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Cancer Cathartic Diuretic Emetic Homeopathy Rubefacient Stimulant Vesicant.

Mezereum has been used in the past for treating rheumatism and indolent ulcers, but because of its toxic nature it is no longer considered to be safe[238]. The plant contains various toxic compounds, including daphnetoxin and mezerein, and these are currently being investigated (1995) for their anti-leukaemia effects[238, 254].
The bark is cathartic, diuretic, emetic, rubefacient, stimulant and vesicant[4, 7, 9, 21, 46]. The root bark is the most active medically, but the stem bark is also used[4]. It has been used in an ointment to induce discharge in indolent ulcers[4] and also has a beneficial effect upon rheumatic joints[254]. The bark is not usually taken internally and even when used externally this should be done with extreme caution and not applied if the skin is broken[4, 21, 254]. The bark is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[7].
The fruits have sometimes been used as a purgative[4].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[7]. It is used in the treatment of various skin complaints and inflammations[7, 9].

Other Uses

Dye Oil.

A yellow to greenish-brown dye is obtained from the leaves, fruit and bark[13].
The seed contains up to 31% of a fatty oil[74]. No further details are given.

Cultivation details

A good sandy loam suits most members of this genus[11]. Prefers a good heavy soil and some shade[31, 49]. Prefers a calcareous soil[13, 17, 19] and cool moist conditions[11, 49]. There is no evidence to suggest it requires a calcareous soil, but all members of this genus do well on acid soils[11].
A very ornamental plant[1], it is hardy to about -30° c[184].
Plants tend to be short-lived in cultivation, probably due to excessive seed bearing[11, 200].
Plants are resentful of root disturbance and should be planted into their permanent positions as soon as possible[188]. They also resent being cut and so should not be pruned unless it is essential[245].
A good bee plant, providing a source of nectar very early in the year[108]. The flowers have a delicious sweet perfume[245].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe with the pot sealed in a polythene bag to hold in the moisture. Remove this bag as soon as germination takes place[164]. The seed usually germinates better if it is harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it dries on the plant) and sown immediately. Germination should normally take place by spring, though it sometimes takes a further year. Stored seed is more problematic. It should be warm stratified for 8 - 12 weeks at 20° c followed by 12 - 14 weeks at 3° c. Germination may still take another 12 months or more at 15° c[164]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Grow the plants on in the greenhouse for their first winter and then plant out in spring after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.
Layering.

Scent

Flowers: Fresh
The flowers have a delicious sweet perfume.

Cultivars

''
There are some named forms for this species, but these have been developed for their ornamental value and not for their other uses. Unless you particularly require the special characteristics of any of these cultivars, we would generally recommend that you grow the natural species for its useful properties. We have, therefore, not listed the cultivars in this database[K].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

References for Daphne mezreum (a possible synonym). References for daphne mezereum (a possible synonym).

References for the family Thymelaeaceae.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[10] Altmann. H. Poisonous Plants and Animals. Chatto and Windus 1980 ISBN 0-7011-2526-8
A small book, reasonable but not very detailed.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[19] Stary. F. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn 1983 ISBN 0-600-35666-3
Not very comprehensive, but easy reading.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[31] Brown. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[49] Arnold-Forster. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.
Trees and shrubs that grow well in &ndndndnd and other mild areas of Britain. Fairly good, a standard reference book.

[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[108] International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. 1981
The title says it all.

[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

[268] Stuart. M. (Editor) The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism Orbis Publishing. London. 1979 ISBN 0-85613-067-2
Excellent herbal with good concise information on over 400 herbs.

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