A few plants are planted
along south esplanade near the back courtyard of
Casa Grande . W. R. Hearst was very fond of the
fragrance of Daphne and had it planted in large
numbers.
Evergreen shrub to 4' high; leaves lance-shaped,
green with cream margins; clusters of small
pinkish flowers in winter; flowers very fragrant.
(There is also a type of Daphne ododra with
plain green leaves.)
Daphne is greatly
prized for its fragrance, but it is not easy
to cultivate in California; it does much better
in the Pacific Northwest. It needs fast-draining
soil and careful summer watering. It is frost
sensitive. Despite its name, this is not the
plant that the nymph, Daphne, turned into
when pursued by Apollo. She turned into Grecian
Laurel (Laurus nobilis). The confusion arises
because "Daphne" is the word in Greek for
what the Romans and we now call "Laurel."
Evergreen shrub to 4' high; leaves lance-shaped,
green with cream margins; clusters of small
pinkish flowers in winter; flowers very fragrant.
(There is also a type of Daphne ododra with
plain green leaves.) 
