North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Diane Whitehead <voltaire@islandnet.com>]

Daphne is a genus of mostly evergreen shrubs grown for their 
sweet-scented flowers. They can perfume the air all around.  If I 
leave a window open, the entire house will be perfumed. Many flower 
very early in spring (February).  Some are low-growing alpines, some 
can be as tall as a person.  Many have pink flowers, some white, and 
there are new yellow-flowered ones being imported from China.  Many 
have long-lasting red berries.

There is a yellowy green-flowered European one that has naturalized 
all over this area.  Birds spread its black berries, and it quickly 
grows a lo-o-ong taproot so it thrives in dry shade and is really 
hard to pull out.  If chopped off, it regrows.

Great plants, but they are all poisonous.


--
Diane Whitehead  Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8
cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually)
sandy soil