Variegated winter daphne 'Marginata' is a variegated cultivar in the Thymelaeaceae (mezereum) family. This shrub grows to 4 feet tall and wide with variegated foliage in a rounded form. The fragrant flowers appear in winter to early spring. Daphnes can be finicky to grow but when sited in the right place are worth the effort. This plant does best in fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soils in part sun to dappled shade. It needs the soil to be kept moist but not soggy. ‘Marginata’ also appreciates some protection from winds. Use in the winter garden, along patios or pathways or in a foundation planting. Plant where the fragrance and winter blooms can be appreciated. This shrub doesn't like to be transplanted so choose your site carefully. Prune only sparingly to remove dead or damaged limbs. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Fasciation, Southern blight, tobacco ringspot virus, Verticillium wilt, crown and root rot, Botrytis twig blight, aphids, and scale insects can be problems. VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University More information on Daphne odora .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub
Form & Appearance
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Variegated
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Fleshy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Green leaves with yellow margins are alternate but appear whirled on the stem. They tend to be denser near the end of the branches. They are leathery, 2-3 inches long and tapered to a point on each end.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Star
Flower detail
Fragrant rosy-purple buds open white in terminal racemes in late winter to early spring.