February Daphne, Mezereon                DAF-ne me-ZEE-ree-um

• Semi-evergreen to deciduous shrub, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) high, similar width. Leaves alternate, simple, 3.5-9 cm long and 0.5-3 cm wide, obtuse to acute, dull blue-green, gray-green below. Flowers lilac to rosy purple, very fragrant, each 13 mm across, grouped in 2-3, from buds on the upper portion of leafless stems in winter. Red fruit matures in early summer.
• Part shade, needs good drainage.
• Hardly to USDA Zone 4      Native to Europe and Siberia.