‘Locked in the tower’ for a decade, and almost forgotten, ‘Perfume Princess’ is set to knock its wicked step mother, Daphne odora, from the throne to reign as the world’s most scented shrub.

worlds most scented shrubDaphne ‘Perfume Princess’ has taken more than 10 years to develop and, at one stage, was almost discarded. Having secured limited stocks we are pleased to offer one of the strongest-growing daphne available to gardeners, and customers are already snapping it up! Daphne ‘Perfume Princess’ was raised by plant breeder, Mark Jury. The aim was to combine the tough, strong growth habit of Daphne bholua types with the heady fragrance and flowering performance of Daphne odora varieties.

worlds most scented shrub

However, Mark found the seed set extremely low, and almost gave up on the project. Finally, he found 6 ripened seeds, yet only one of these went on to germinate. Mark persisted with the offspring but with his focus switching to magnolia breeding, this young daphne plant was left forgotten in a corner of the nursery.

worlds most scented shrub

The plant secretly flourished, but it wasn’t until Mark rediscovered it and set it out in the garden that it really came into its own. ‘Perfume Princess’ was a true breeding success, and demonstrated both the characteristics that Mark had hoped for; compact, shrubby foliage growth and heavy flowering. Plants reach a manageable 90-120cm and produce flowers between each leaf, double the size of those on usual odora varieties. Scent is improved too, with flowers offering an alluring fragrance with citrus undertones.

worlds most scented shrub

Michael Perry says;  “This is one of the most important shrub introductions for many years; this unique hybrid has brought daphne to a new level. ‘Perfume Princess’ produces tough plants, and each stem is literally dripping with potent blooms through spring. No wonder they often call daphne the most fragrant shrub in the world!”

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