Lottah Nursery Tasmania, Australia
Syn. Daphne x napolitana
First introduced into Britain from the Naples area of Italy by Loddiges, who described it in 1823. Of unknown origins, D. x napolitana is possibly several distinct clones sheltering under one name.
Recent comparisons with newly created hybrids seem to suggest that D. sericia or the cultivated 'D. collina' could be one parent and D. cneorum could be the other.
This a small trouble-free evergreen plant maturing into a dense rounded shrub of around 1 m over several years.
Small numbers of very fragrant rose-purple flowers in terminal clusters begin to open in early Spring, peaking to full flush in mid-Spring. There is a secondary flowering in late Summer/early Autumn lasting many weeks.
No seed production is recorded which indicates the plant is probably sterile.
For a long time this clone was known simply as D. x napolitana; however the introduction of other named clones of similar parentage called for a cultivar name for the original which Robin White provided in his book.
(Click on thumbnails for larger images)
7446 (1, 5, 31, 121)