Daphne bholua ‘Gurkha’

Plant of the month: January

daphne bholua gurkha
daphne bolua  

Daphne bholua 'Gurkha' 

Sensory garden

Daphne bholua is considered by some as the most dramatic of its genus. Although most of these winter-flowering shrubs are evergreen, Daphne bholua ‘Gurkha’ is deciduous and loses all its leaves during the winter. This doesn’t matter though as it is the small white flowers arising from pink buds which are important. Get up close and you will know why – their scent is intoxicating! Therefore it is best to plant this vigorous, upright shrub near your front door or a path for constant appreciation. It will be happy in sun if the roots are shaded but will perform best in partial shade in well-drained but moisture retentive soil. Daphne bholua is native to the Eastern Himalayan mountain range with Daphne bholua ‘Gurkha’ being one of the hardiest forms of this species.