Cold hardiness - Daphne modesta

[Pauli]

Hello,

I got a nice plant of Daphne modesta from Gerd Stopp of Chemnitz, Germany. He grows it his glass house with a little extra warmth on very cold days. Will it survive an unheated glasshouse (around -10 to -15 after very cold nights)?
Has anybody planted one already outside?

[arilnut]

Check this link Herbert
http://www.seidelbast.net/modesta.html

John B

[Pauli]

I checked already - but it says "hardiness unknown"

[ruweiss]

Hello Herbert,
It seems, that D.modesta is hardier than it seems. Today(!) I planted one of my
plants to the rockgarden. Some of my friends have done it some years before without
any losses, but I have no informations about the lowest temperatures.
My plants survived -7°C in the Alpine house, flowered well and set seeds.

[Pauli]

Thanks Rudi for your information!

Your climate should not be so different from mine. -7° is ok in respect to our last winters, but I remember those 20 years ago...... -20° was not that rare.

I'll keep it in my unheated house and think about it again when outside temperature is going to fall below -15C!

[Matt T]

Herbert, do you have continual snow cover on the ground throughout the winter months? Even if your air temperatures drop to -15 or 20, a blanket of snow could keep you plants warmer than that?

[Pauli]

Sorry Matt,

not all of Austria has a permanent snow cover. Here in Linz permanent snow for more than a month is a rare occasion the last years. On the other hand usually it is not so cold without snow lying around.
My one and only plant will find a protected home - perhaps I shall plant one outside when I succeed with propagating it.

[Maggi Young]

 I am unclear as to any major hardiness differences between D. modesta and Daphne gemmata /Wikstroemia gemmata - but I do know that Ian Christie keeps D. gemmata under glass in Angus in Scotland and I have been  advised  to do the same in Aberdeen.

[ichristie]

Hello, yes Maggie we keep the plant in a cold glasshouse in winter at night we cover with fleece or similar our plants lose all leaves in winter, I have grafted on to D. mezereum looks good just now never had seed,  cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[ruweiss]

Met Gerd Stopp today at the Czech-German Rockgarden Meeting in the beautiful Wuerzburg
Botanical Garden. Aside of many other alpines he offered nice plants of Daphne modesta.
I asked him about his experience with the hardiness of these plants and he replied, that he
grows some of them in the open garden for testing. They all survived - 10°C with minimal
protection 2 years ago, the last winter season was not so frosty.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Interesting information Rudi . I have it in the garden for one year but last winter was extremely warm with almost no frost.
I wil keep you al informed in the future.......