I planted three daphne odora about 2 months ago and they're doing fine. I planted them straight from the container into the ground. I don't have any advice, as this is my first experience with daphne. Hope you can figure out what's wrong.

Daphne odora MUST have perfect drainage and planted on top of the soil, not in it. The crown cannot have any soil on it or around it. Even some root exposure near the crown is OK. I have 4, 2 white, 2 pink, on a slope and were planted on a 6" mound of composted, ground pine bark, with a 2" cover of same material on the fanned out roots. The oldest one is 20 years old, youngest is 8. They are in high shade under an oak tree.
Rb

These are planted on mounds. For each mound, I removed all the clay for a foot down and 5 feet in diameter and replaced it with the 4 top inches of the clay mixed with 50 lbs of sand and 50 lbs of pebbles. I shoveled in this mixture alternated with 2 shovels of soil conditioner for every shovel of the clay mixture. Built up mounds, spread the daphnes' roots and covered the roots with light soil. I checked on them every couple of days to make sure the roots weren't uncovered during any rains. One is still healthy and beautiful. The other one started out this morning with complete leaf wilt. I know it isn't dried out, and I know the water runs off the mound during rains, so I don't think it's too wet. It sure looks like the leaf wilt that is the first sign of viral infection. I know daphnes are real prone to viral attack. I could pull it out and pot it in half container soil, half perlite and see if it recovers. Any other suggestions?

If you have had one or more of the torrential downpours that many of us have experienced lately, I would check to see if the soil underneath the mound is soggy. Often, when you dig out an area of clay, a reservoir is created that will retain moisture and it wicks up through the soil to the plant roots. Leaf wilt is also a symptom of transplant shock induced by root disturbance. There are about 10 viruses that affect Daphne odora, but 3 are most common: DVS & DVY, which are transmitted by aphids and DVX, a contact virus, transmitted by sap from unsterilized pruning and cultivation tools. Symptoms are small thin leathery leaves, leaf curling, excessive defoliation during autumn & winter, small flowers or bud drop and no flowers, death of single limbs or the entire plant. There is no reference to leaf wilt as a symptom of these. According to one detailed study, plants grown in the shade do not exhibit any symptoms of virus infection.

As I mentioned, mine are planted on a slope and the underlying clay soil was not disturbed, only the duff was removed and a mound constructed on top of the clay. The root covering was so sparse that the plants were staked to prevent them from falling over. Additional material was added after each heavy rainfall until the roots were able to contain the composted bark. Only one plant has been pruned. Several years ago a dead limb was removed that was the result of chipmunks digging a burrow and piling the spoils on the crown. Once the soil was removed, it fully recoverd .
Hopefully, yours will recover soon.
Rb

Ok Razorback, I think you're right and it's not virus. I did lose a potted daphne a few years ago to virus, but you're right that the leaves curled rather than wilted. It really could be not enough drainage with all the rain lately. The water is draining down off the mound, but it could be draining into the big hole that was dug and wicking back up.

As I understand what you're saying, you built a raised 6" mound on top of the soil? Is that correct. And you built the mound entirely from composted pine bark? What was the diameter of the mound?

Thanks for all your help.

SugarHill--
That is correct, since the plantings were on a slope(~25 degrees), the soil was not disturbed because of erosion concerns, as the site is adjacent to my rear driveway. The mound of composted bark was just large enough to accomadate the longest roots that were fanned out over it. As a consequence, the roots did not lie flat, but pointed downwaed at an angle.
Once upon a time, when there was an active Garden Club in our beighborhood, we purchased the composted pine bark in 3 cu. ft. bags by the truckload from Smith Industries, delivered and dumped on a vacant lot. At that time, the cost per cu. yard, delivered, was about the same as a 2 cu. ft. bag of Natures Helper, nowdays, at the box stores. That is the only soil ammendment I have ever added, except in special situations, such as bogs, rockgarden or Cyclamen beds.
Rb