Daphne mezereum growth

Question

I bought a couple of bare rooted Daphne mezereums last autumn, put one in the garden and potted one up. Neither has produced any leaves yet (it’s mid-May and I’m in the SW of England, the lilacs have been in flower for a week or two, apple blossom is over, TB irises not out yet.). Is it naturally a late starter or have I managed to kill them both?

Answer 1

This plant is “late winter to late spring” bloomer, so if you’re not seeing any buds forming out of the previous year’s leaves, your Daphne Mezereums simply may not have survived the winter.

You “could” give them a couple more weeks but if the branches are very dry and brittle all the way down to the stem, it’s likely they’re not going to come back. If there is any “green” (pliable branches) still in the plants, you could try adjusting the soil and sun conditions to see if that brings them back (but you still won’t get blooms this year).

These articles may help you:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/winter-daphne/care-for-winter-daphne.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/winter-daphne/pruning-winter-daphne.htm

Answer 2

Thanks for the answer. I would be glad to get leaves, let alone flowers this year! But I think what you said is right I’m pretty sure they are defunct. I’ll bite the bullet and buy a well-grown plant.