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Daphne odora

Common name:	Winter Daphne	Family:	Thymelaeaceae
Author:	Thunb.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:	Daphne sinensis (Lam.), Daphne japonica (Paxton.), Daphne indica (Hort.)
Known Hazards:	All parts of the plant are poisonous[200]. Skin contact with the sap can cause dermatitis in some people[65, 200].
Range:	E. Asia - W. China.
Habitat:	In the shade of upland trees around 1000 metres[147].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Jui Hsiang [E], Shui Hsiang [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	odora = fragrant
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Myrtales. Mezereum family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 1.5m by 1.5m . It is hardy to zone 7. It is in leaf all year, in flower from January to March. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies and Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Anodyne Antiphlogistic Antispasmodic Depurative Ophthalmic.

The flowers and the stems are anodyne, antiphlogistic, antispasmodic, depurative and ophthalmic[147]. A decoction is used in the treatment of backache, myalgia, skin diseases, poor vision etc[147, 218].
A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of laryngitis and sore throats[218].
A decoction of the roots and leaves is used in the treatment of sore throat and caked breast[218].

Other Uses

Ground cover Pot-pourri.

The flowers are very fragrant, they are put in sachets and used for pot-pourri. They are also used to perfume water[46, 61].
The cultivar 'Aureo-marginata' can be used as a ground cover when planted about 1 metre apart each way[208].

Cultivation details

Prefers a cool, lime-free well-drained friable soil[1] and some shelter from cold winds[166]. Succeeds in full sun or semi-shade[219].
This species is not generally hardy in Britain[1] but succeeds outdoors in Devon and &ndndndnd[11], tolerating temperatures down to about -5° c[200]. The cultivar 'Aureo-marginata' is hardy to about -13° c when grown in a very well-drained soil and it succeeds outdoors at Wisley[200]. Plants can be difficult to establish[208].
A very ornamental plant, a number of named forms have been developed for their ornamental value[182]. The flowers are powerfully fragrant with a spicy undertone[245].
Plants seldom set fruit in British gardens[219].
Plants are resentful of root disturbance and should be planted into their permanent positions as soon as possible[188].
This species is often affected by virus diseases. Some virus-free clones have been produced, their name is normally followed by the letters FKV (free of all known virus)[184].

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, 7 - 10cm long at a node or with a heel, July/August in a frame.
Layering

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers are powerfully fragrant with a spicy undertone.

Cultivars

'Aureo-marginata': This cultivar is hardier than the species, tolerating temperatures down to about -13° c when grown in a very well-drained soil[11, 200]. It succeeds outdoors at Wisley, about 30 miles west of London[200].

Suppliers

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

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Thymelaeaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

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]).

[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.

[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.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[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.

[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.

[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.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[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.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[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.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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