Choose daphne by kind: winter daphne, a longer-bloom hybrid, or rose daphne. We list those three.
Choose winter daphne, a longer-bloom hybrid, or rose daphne
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Winter scent by a door | Classic D. odora, or gold-edged Aureomarginata | A blue Lithodora mat labeled as daphne |
| Bloom past spring | Eternal Fragrance, or variegated Carol Mackie | Expecting winter-only perfume on a hybrid |
| Low evergreen mat | Rose daphne (D. cneorum) | A spreading sweet-woodruff patch |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of daphne that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Read the Latin on the tag. Winter daphne is D. odora. [1] Eternal Fragrance repeats from spring into fall on a 2–3 ft mound. [2] Rose daphne is the low mat. [3]
Winter daphne vs Eternal Fragrance vs rose daphne?
Winter daphne is evergreen D. odora for late-winter scent. Eternal Fragrance is a compact hybrid that repeats. Rose daphne is a 1-foot evergreen mat.
Browse by kind
Winter daphne
D. odora is the classic winter-scent evergreen — pink-flushed flowers when little else smells. ‘Aureomarginata’ keeps that perfume with cream-gold leaf margins.
Longer-bloom hybrids
Eternal Fragrance is a compact D. × transatlantica that repeats after the main spring flush. ‘Carol Mackie’ is the variegated Burkwood — cream-edged leaves and spring scent on a 3–4 ft mound.
Rose daphne
D. cneorum is rose daphne, also sold as garland daphne. It is a low evergreen mat, about 1 foot tall and 3 feet wide, for a drained rock edge — not a wet groundcover.
Not daphne — Lithodora, sweet woodruff, and deodar cedar
- Lithodora is a blue borage groundcover, not a fragrant daphne shrub. Match the Latin Daphne. Care for Lithodora lives on How to Grow Lithodora.
- Sweet woodruff is Galium odoratum, an herbaceous shade groundcover with whorled leaves. The odora in the name is not winter daphne. [4]
- Deodar cedar is Cedrus deodara, a large needle evergreen. A shop tag that says deodora is not a daphne shrub. See How to Grow Cedar.
Is Lithodora a daphne?
No. Lithodora is a low blue groundcover. Daphne is a fragrant shrub. Sweet woodruff is Galium, and deodar cedar is a tree.
If the tag says Lithodora or sweet woodruff, it is not this shrub. Read the Latin before you buy.
FAQ
Do we list Somerset as an extra kind?
No. The three here are winter daphne, longer-bloom hybrids, and rose daphne. Somerset is a Burkwood parent, not a catalog card.
Is Eternal Fragrance the same as winter daphne?
No. Winter daphne is D. odora. Eternal Fragrance is a compact transatlantica hybrid that repeats after spring.
Is spurge laurel winter daphne?
No. Spurge laurel is Daphne laureola, a different species. Winter daphne is D. odora.
Related guides
References
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/daphne-odora/ - [2] Penn State Extension -
https://extension.psu.edu/daphnes-for-pennsylvania-gardens - [3] Oregon State University Landscape Plants -
https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/daphne-cneorum - [4] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/galium-odoratum/
This note is part of Daphne Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors