Daphne odora Perfume Princess white

The Daphne 'Perfume Princess White' is characterized by large and numerous clusters of intensely fragrant white flowers. Place this fragrant daphne near a high-traffic area to enjoy its scent from the end of winter. This white version of the 'Perfume Princess' variety, known to be the earliest and most floriferous of all hybrid daphnes, possesses all its qualities. Hardy, this evergreen shrub can be planted alone, in a border, or in a container. Its cultivation is delicate, but your efforts will be greatly rewarded by its generous flowering with intoxicating fragrance with citrus notes.

From the Thymelaeaceae family, the 'Perfume Princess White' Daphne is a chance mutation with white flowers of the variety 'Perfume Princess'. This recent New Zealand creation is the result of cross-breeding between the D. odora, a Chinese evergreen shrub with low hardiness, and the D. bholua, a tall upright shrub native to the eastern Himalayas, also highly fragrant and much hardier. This white version forms a bushy, upright, and dense shrub, reaching 1.2 m in height and 1 m in width. Its growth is fairly slow. The leaves are leathery and dark green. They measure between 6 and 10 cm in length and 1 to 2.5 cm in width. Evergreen in mild and temperate climates, they can be semi-evergreen in cold climates. It is a very floriferous variety that adorns itself, from January to early spring, with star-shaped flowers of pure white, highly fragrant. The flowers are arranged in umbels along the branches and at each end. There may sometimes be a second flowering in late summer.

The 'Perfume Princess White' Fragrant Daphne will find its place in any garden as long as the soil remains moist in summer and is not too chalky. It can be planted in a border, as a standalone specimen, or in a large pot on a terrace. To easily enjoy its complex and powerful fragrance, place it near a window, path, or entrance. Create a border that blooms almost all year round by combining this white-flowered daphne with an Autumn-flowering Camellia 'Naruti Gaita', a Chinese Azalea 'Soir de Paris' with pink spring flowers, and a Hydrangea 'Baron Pourpre' that will take over until the end of summer. The flowering branches of the fragrant daphne combined with those of the Japanese Quince 'Cameo' with salmon-coloured flowers will allow you to create beautiful bouquets.

Note: Daphnes are sometimes finicky plants, and their cultivation can be delicate if the conditions are not suitable. They are best reserved for gardeners with experience.