Carol Mackie, D. odora,, D. mezereum, and a couple of others have done well for me. A well-drained sandy loam seems best. Overwatering can encourage phythopthora root rot.

I have Carol Mackie 4-5 years now and it has done well enough. Also another daphne hybrid that I can't find the name of right now.
Both mine are in high shade and sandy loam.

Thanks, steve and loretta. Unfortunately I have clay so maybe that and the full sun did the daphne in. I may give it a try again but they seem to be quite expensive and a little cold sensitive so I'm reluctant to do so right now. Pray for rain.

Keep your eyes open. You never know what you will find marked down at the end of the season. I didn't pay much for mine but I got them very small - mail order size.

Hi Loretta,
I will keep my eyes open for marked down daphne. I haven't seen them in the nursery we usually go to but maybe I didn't look through all the plants carefully enough. I don't remember seeing them at all in nurseries in the Trenton/Princeton area except for the now closed Frank's nursery in Hamilton.

I have three Carol Mackie for 3 years and they look great and one D. mantensiana. Mantensiana has some bloom on right now (morning sun afternoon shade and soil mostly clay). Carol Mackie sun till 3:00 and soil somewhat better.
Not long ago I saw Carol Mackie in Belle Mead CO-op (Township Ln off Rt 206). They have good plants and are not too expensive. Ambleside nursery, not far from Co-op on Rt 206 had last couple years good selection of Daphes ( this year I did not look there). Good luck!

Ivy3, thanks for the info on the Co-op and Ambleside nurseries. We may drive up to take a look. Your success in growing mantensiana in clay gives me hope that I can grow a Daphne one day. How is the perfume on the mantensiana and the Mackies? I have read that they have an intense scent but I have not to my knowledge smelled one. The one I bought was not in bloom.

Your prayer for rain seems to have worked! I bought a Carol Mackie because my maiden name is Carole McKie - couldn't resist - doing well in slightly sandy soil, shade in the morning, full sun late afternoon. Fragrant flowers in the spring, got a repeat bloom late summer but didn't smell at all.