You have Daphne odora 'Marginata' often called "Winter Daphne". Every year I start a few cuttings at about this time. They usually are maddeningly slow to root, but they don't die. Once roots start they grow fast enough. Al

hi

welcome to GW ...

most of us would start at the link ... and get a general base of knowledge..

and then come back here with specific questions ...

in fact.. the 3rd link down.. is your title EXACTLY.. and a post in the GW.. which has its own search function, near the top ...

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Thanks for the advice. I did do numerous searches about this plant and everyone has something different to say, which made it very confusing. Some people had said that this plant dies after a couple of years with no reason for dying but I have had mine for at least 8 years, having never pruned it or watered it except when I first planted it. Gonna try and take some cuttings in the next few days and see how they do. Any suggestions as to what works best for rooting.. (meaning just in water or doing the root compound and plant in dirt? or do it in water and do a greenhouse affect with it? do you put the cuttings to root in sun or indirect sun?) ugh so many questions..lol I have never done any kind of propagation before and not really a big gardener either, just sort of starting out.

I root Daphne in perlite based mix, tented on a 70 degree heat mat. Use tip cuttings stripped to only two leaves, and use vegetative tips, not those with bloom. Regular Rootone is strong enough. Good light but nor direct sun. Vent every couple of days to prevent mildew. Water from the bottom only when needed. If condensation no longer appears on the inside of the tent it usually is an indication that mix is getting too dry. Al

TheresaWA - possibly the short lived Daphne you read about was D mezereum. You need to ensure you search for D odora 'Marginata' to get information about the one you have. Not all Daphnes behave the same way. Some are evergreen, some deciduous. Some are largish shrubs and some tiny alpines.

Theresa, this thread inspired me to try cuttings of my Mom's shrub.

Semi-hardwood and tons of heat seem to be common themes after reading several sources on propagation info. I wonder if I waited too long. Sure it's hot but when I looked a few days ago, I couldn't differentiate and wonder if the soft wood is already hard for the year? Wish there was a gangly branch we could set a brick on but it's way too upright.

Have you had any success?

I did try and it was not successful. The method I tried was by placing them in a jar of water placed on my window sill. I have yet to try in dirt and will try that again this coming new year. I may also try taking cuttings at different times of year and see if that has any affect.

Good attitude. Me too. Good luck to us both!

From Z9, April was suggested, will try that as well as March and May.

Thanks for pointing that out, Ken. My "me too" could have been construed as including the previous comment about water, but it was just in regard to the "trying again" part.

They myriad of sources I've read on this subject all suggest the dirt method, not water, and semi-hardwood in spring/summer, which meshes with what was suggested by someone in a similar zone.

TheresaWA - rooting cuttings in water is the least successful method and only really works with some very easy to propagate plants. Daphne odora is not one of these. None of the people who answered you recommended it for that reason. It's a pity you have lost so much time trying it. If you really want to propagate your Daphne it will need some care and attention. It needs to be done by cuttings or grafting. There are instructions at the link. Click on 'semi-hardwood cuttings'.

Here is a link that might be useful: Daphne

and just to increase your learning curve a bit.. since flora did the research.. semi-hardwood pieces ..

green wood.. is this spring season cuttings ...

hardwood is usually 2 seasons back..

and semi would be either last years.. or the spring green .. in fall ...

and to top it off.. i might be overgeneralizing .. lol ..

but the simple thought would be.. 'wood' doesnt root in water.. it rots ... [with the caveat .. that anything is possible.. lol.. we are talking 'odds' here]

boy are we starved for new posts.. lol ... and you are the winner of obtaining.. more info than you probably ever wanted.. lol ..

ken

I am thankful for any and all advice. I am new to propagation, gardening, and anything that has to do with growing things. I did not know about the water thing, that it only works on super easy stuff. What should I expect when using the perlite? As was stated it can take up to a year for it to grow roots.. will the leaves die or grow new ones? I guess what I am trying to say is what should the plant look like while I am waiting for the roots to grow?

One of the reasons daphnes do not like to be transplanted is that they have a very thin but long, rarely seen tap root snuggled inbetweenst the other roots. If that tap root is disturbed, its death. They also have very finicky normal roots that like the cool of shade, yet the plant needs 6 hours of sun a day. Since the plant flowers in Dec-Feb, and then goes into its rest period, reportedly, the best time to take cuttings is August, when other perennials are going into their rest period.

I never realized how deep Daphne rooted until I had to rebuild a rotted raised bed/wooden box, that was three feet above the ground. When I removed the rotted wooden sides, I found the Daphne roots were well into the ground below the box The soil in the box was always kept moist on a timed system, so it was not a lack of moisture causing the deep rooting. Al

I’ve read all these comments, but need help with where I am right now; I took a 12” cutting (4” of which is about 1/4” thick) from my mother-in-law’s plant in Portland, Oregon back in October. I then transported the cutting to Germany and stuck it in a vase of water on the window sill in a southern facing window. A few weeks later it began to bloom! The leaves are now starting to look a bit wilted, after 2 months in the same water, and I’m wondering what to do to keep this one and only cutting alive! Should I try to pot it in soil now or keep it in the water? Can I add anything to the water to encourage roots? I travel a lot and am afraid potting it would require more attention and no one would be around to do that. Please Help!

I tried to use this similar cutting to pot. it won't root. It last half year until it finally got dried out. You might want to add rooting powder into the water to try, and add some sugar to provide flower nutrition.

In San Francisco, Daphne is not easy to grow. At least my plant doesn't grow bigger. Wish you luck. This is my 2nd year to my Daphne plants

I was going to try and plant it between trips, but decided to leave it in the water when I saw what looks like a tiny bud- like shoot below the water line. I thought I’d wait until the weather is more spring-like before trying it in soil. What time of year did you take your cutting? I’m wondering if that makes a difference in rooting?