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Key characteristics

Family: Thymelaeaceae
Height: 3 to 4 feet
Width: 3 to 4 feet
Flower color: Small, pale pink to white flowers
Foliage color: Glossy, dark green leaves with golden-yellow margins
Bloom time: Late winter to early spring
Light: Partial shade to full sun
Water: Regular
Maintenance: Low; protect from harsh winter winds
Growing zone: 7 to 9
Wildlife: Flowers attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies

Shrubs

Daphne odora ‘Aueromarginata’

Variegated Winter Daphne

Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata' produces intensely fragrant clusters of purplish-pink flowers, opening nearly white within, from late winter into early spring and providing valuable nectar for early pollinators. Glossy, leathery dark green leaves are narrowly edged in creamy yellow, creating elegant variegated foliage that remains attractive throughout the year. The dense, rounded branching and luminous leaf margins provide color and texture even during the winter months.

Light

Partial shade to full sun

Water

Regular

Bloom time

Late winter to early spring

Find this plant

Works well in

Shade Gardens
Fragrant Gardens
Woodland Gardens
Paths & Walkways

Companion plants

Pieris · Japanese forest grass · Brunnera · Viburnum · Trillium · Lungwort

Design tip

Golden-edged leaves give this daphne a luminous quality even before its intensely fragrant flowers open. Dark green companions can emphasize the variegation, while a sheltered location near a doorway or patio makes its late-winter fragrance an especially memorable part of the garden.