Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Daphne odora ‘Maejima’
Maejima Variegated Winter Daphne
- Family
- Thymelaeaceae
- Height
- 2 to 4 feet
- Width
- 2 to 4 feet
- Flower color
- Pale pink to white
- Foliage color
- Dark green with creamy-yellow margins (variegated)
- Bloom time
- Late winter to early spring
- Light
- Partial shade to full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Maintenance
- Requires minimal maintenance once established
- Growing zone
- USDA Zones 7 to 9
- Wildlife
- May attract pollinators
About this plant
Daphne odora 'Maejima' is a compact evergreen shrub with a rounded growth habit, prized for its fragrant flowers and variegated foliage. It boasts glossy dark green leaves edged with creamy-yellow margins, adding year-round interest to the garden. In late winter to early spring, clusters of intensely fragrant, pale pink to white blooms adorn the plant, filling the air with a sweet, citrusy scent.
Thriving in moist, well-drained soil and partial shade to full sun, 'Maejima' is ideal for mixed borders, woodland gardens, or as a focal point. It also makes an excellent choice for containers or as a specimen plant near patios and entryways, where its fragrance can be enjoyed. Note that the plant is toxic if ingested.
Works well in
Shade Gardens · Fragrant Gardens · Woodland Gardens · Paths & Walkways
Companion plants
Sweet box · Bleeding heart · Pieris · Foam flower · Lungwort · Ajuga
Design tip
Broad creamy-yellow margins make this daphne noticeably brighter than many other evergreen shrubs, giving it a natural role as a small focal point in shade. Repeating touches of gold or chartreuse nearby can carry that color through the planting without competing with its fragrant winter flowers.
