Daphne bholua Spring Beauty

The Daphne 'Spring Beauty' owes its name to the beauty of its clusters of large flowers in a lovely lilac pink, beautifully scented, capable of perfuming a whole area of the garden from the end of winter, with flowering continuing for several weeks in spring. This new hybrid is undoubtedly the most vigorous of all daphnes. Adorned with beautiful foliage, mostly evergreen in winter, this bush is ornamental throughout the year. 'Spring Beauty' is relatively hardy and slightly less demanding than a rhododendron, while being much more floriferous and fragrant. Plant it near the house or not far from a pathway!

The Daphne 'Spring Beauty' is a bush from the Thymelaeaceae family, a cousin of the "Bois joli" or "Garou". This recent English hybrid is the result of cross-breeding between Daphne aff. sureil, of Chinese origin, and Daphne bholua, a tall upright shrub native to the eastern Himalayas, are highly fragrant and very hardy. They are montain shrubs that grow in light and humid undergrowth, developing on non-limestone (acidic) soils, cool but often steep and rocky, and therefore well-drained.

'Spring Beauty' forms an upright bushy shrub, reaching 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in) in height and 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) in spread under good growing conditions. When grown in a container, it will remain smaller. Its growth is quite slow. Very floriferous, it is adorned from the end of February (depending on the climate) until April, with elongated rose-purple flower buds. They open up into large star-shaped flowers, pale lilac pink in colour, sometimes reaching 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter. They are clustered in large umbels that emit a sweet and spicy fragrance, with notes of cloves. The large entire, lanceolate, leathery dark green leaves are 6 to 10 cm (2.4 to 3.9 in) long and 1 to 2.5 cm (0.4 to 1 in) wide. They are grouped in tufts at the top of the branches and then spread along the entire length of the current year's stems. They are evergreen in mild and temperate climates, but often semi-evergreen in cold climates.

The hybrid Daphne 'Spring Beauty' can withstand short frosts of around -10°C (14 °F) at a minimum, even when grown in a large pot. It appreciates the same conditions as camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons, with which it will form beautiful combinations. It can be used in borders, as a standalone plant, or in very large pots, and tolerates morning sun very well. To enjoy its exceptional flowering and fragrance, it is wise to plant it near a window, terrace, pathway, or entrance. Its flowering branches are also beautiful in bouquets, mixed with those of Japanese quinces or Prunus.

Note: Daphnes can be high-maintenance and difficult to cultivate. They are best suited for experienced gardeners.