A friend asked me why I thought her daphne odora is sparse in leaves along the stems. I believe it is an older plant. It still blooms, she tells me, but even the bloom is lighter than it used to be. Is there anything she should be doing to bring about improvement in this plant’s future performance?
They are such lovely shrubs, but a little picky about growing conditions. An evergreen plant native to Japan and China, it is adored for its early spring, fragrant blooms. An online source claims they will die for no apparent reason and says it’s not a long-lived, plant. They commonly show signs of senescing at eight to 10 years.
Sunset Western Garden Book had this amusing comment about daphne odora: “It can die despite the most attentive care, or flourish with little attention until you invite friends over to admire it, at which point it promptly succumbs without warning, just to show you who’s in charge.”
Thinking ahead to spring: Last year I had many pots 6 inches and larger that had annuals and other things in them. I remember some plants suffered some powdery mildew toward the end of summer. I want to use the pots again, but wonder about the dirt. Am I inviting the same disease again if I use the pots and dirt this spring?
