Houzz Contributor. I am a landscape/garden designer, garden coach, writer, and public speaker with over 25 years of professional experience creating beautiful outdoor environments that are lifestyle friendly and Colorado "green". Please contact me at jhcstudios@yahoo.com if you would like more information about my services.

Houzz Contributor. I am a landscape/garden designer, garden coach, writer,... More »

Comment

Bookmark

Embed

Looking for a great shrub to add some pizzazz to your landscape? Carol Mackie daphne has the “fantastic four” elements of planting design: form, foliage, flowers and fragrance. And its trim size works well in small gardens, where plant selection must be especially fine-tuned. What’s not to like?

by Jocelyn H. Chilvers »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

Botanical name: Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’
Common name: Carol Mackie daphne
USDA hardiness zones: 4a to 8 (find your zone)
Elevation range: Up to 7,000 feet
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade and filtered shade
Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide
Benefits and tolerances: Compact, rounded form; semievergreen, variegated foliage; very fragrant flowers; tolerates cold and alkaline soil
When to plant: Spring
Seasonal interest: Variegated foliage is fairly persistent into winter; clusters of fragrant flowers bloom in early spring and may rebloom in late summer or fall.

by Jocelyn H. Chilvers »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

Distinguishing traits. Dense branching creates a compact, rounded form that’s covered in rich green, narrow leaves with cream-colored margins. The foliage is semievergreen to evergreen. In early to mid spring the shrub is blanketed with clusters of small tubular flowers that are white when open and fade to pink. The flower fragrance is wonderful — strong and sweet.

by Jocelyn H. Chilvers »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

How to use it. This shrub is a standout in a semishaded garden as an accent plant, an informal hedge or a foundation plant. Plant it near walkways, patios, decks or entrances — anywhere that you can enjoy the heavenly fragrance.

Carol Mackie daphne’s simple foliage shape and geometric form call out for companion plants with strongly contrasting characteristics. Consider using perennial geraniums, coral bells (Heuchera spp), columbine (Aquilegia spp) and bergenia, and woody plants like oak leaf hydrangea, contorted filbert (Corylusavellana ‘Contorta’) and ‘Sunset Glow’ bamboo (Fargesia rufa).

by Jocelyn H. Chilvers »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

Planting notes. Carol Mackie daphne can be slow to establish. It’s critical to provide good drainage; loose, sandy-loam soil is ideal. Consider raised beds or berms when planting it in heavy clay. Protect this shrub from intense midday sun, especially at higher elevations, and winter winds. Mulch the soil or underplant with a ground cover to keep the root zone moist and cool.

Comments

kennedytarheel I have 22 daphne odora aureomarginata in my yard...I find those a better overall cultivar than Carol Mackie.

6 months ago · Like ·

Dig Your Garden Landscape Design I use Daphne odora 'Marginata' - Winter Daphne. in landscapes I design for Northern California residences. A favorite because of the many reasons specified above, a well behaved smallish shrub. In our area, it blooms around Valentine's Day and permeates the air with its heavenly fragrance. Love!

6 months ago · Like ·

aimlesscyclist I absolutely loved my Carol Mackie Daphne; it bloomed after the lilacs were done and the variegated leaves were beautiful. They don't last very long, though, mine split down the middle and I guess thats common. May have to plant another one at my new house....

5 months ago · Like

lizruork i love my carol mackie... especially in the spring when the evening fragrance wafts through my garden and out onto the sidewalk (where passersby stop in their tracks to to try and find the source) ..... i also grow d. transatlantica eternal fragrance which lacks the charming foliage of carol mackie but flowers continuously from may to october here in midtown toronto.

5 months ago · Like

maddecorator I had a Carol Mackie in a raised bed, but it died anyway. I'd like to try another one sometime, tho, because I loved the fragrance better than my other daphne.

5 months ago · Like

janetwelsh I had several clusters of Carol Mackie Daphnes in my Chicago area yard. They smell so fantastic...better than any other zone 5 shrub I have found. However, they only last about 7-8 years. Every one of them got very woody, and the very soft wood split with heavy snow. Still, they are worth replacing every few years.

5 months ago · Like