Every garden should contain at least one Daphne, and Daphne mezereum Rubra is one of the toughest. It’s an upright, deciduous shrub with prolific beautifully fragrant pinkish-purple flowers that precede the leaves in late winter and early spring.
Although maybe not as sought after as the evergreen Daphne, this variety has the advantage over others of growing in most soils, including chalk and heavy soils. Growing up to 1.5m high, it has pale grey-green leaves and red berries that follow the flowers. Thriving in partial shade, Daphne don’t like being moved, so it’s important to position them correctly first time round.