When to plant and prune Daphne
Daphne flowers from late January to early April and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Daphne is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late March to mid April | late January to early April | early April to early May |
| South Coast and Channel | late March to mid April | late January to early April | early April to early May |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late March to mid April | late January to early April | early April to early May |
| South East and Home Counties | late March to mid April | late January to early April | early April to early May |
| East Anglia | late March to mid April | late January to early April | early April to early May |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late March to mid April | late January to early April | early April to early May |
| Wales and West Coast | late March to mid April | late January to early April | early April to early May |
| Northern England | late March to mid April | late January to early April | early April to early May |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late March to mid April | late January to early April | early April to early May |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late March to mid April | late January to early April | early April to early May |
| Northern Ireland | late March to mid April | late January to early April | early April to early May |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late March to mid April | late January to early April | early April to early May |
Growing notes
Intensely fragrant clusters of small flowers in late winter and spring, best placed beside a door or path where the scent is used. Deep-rooted and short-lived, and it dislikes root disturbance, so plant it once and leave it; RHS advises planting in early spring. Most kinds are evergreen or semi-evergreen. Not suited to containers except the small alpine species. D. mezereum and D. odora are the hardiest.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 100 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 150 cm
- Eventual spread
- 120 cm
- Hardiness
- H4
- Sun
- Partial
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- No
- Balcony rating
- 1 out of 5
Pruning: what to avoid
Do not prune daphnes. They rarely recover well from cuts and often die back afterwards, so buy a plant the right size for the space instead of trying to keep one small. Wear gloves whenever you handle them - the sap irritates skin.
Pruning group
Best not pruned at all: remove only dead or damaged stems, in early spring or shortly after flowering
Winter protection
Site out of cold drying winds; D. odora in particular appreciates a sheltered spot or a wall in colder gardens.
What usually goes wrong
- sudden unexplained dieback
- yellowing leaves from waterlogging or nutrient deficiency
- virus infections
- honey fungus
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for daphne.