{"product_id":"daphniphyllum-calycinum","title":"Daphniphyllum calycinum","description":"\u003cp\u003eDaphniphyllum calycinum is a bold evergreen shrub that looks, at a glance, like a rhododendron, though the two are unrelated. Handsome, leathery, oval leaves cluster toward the branch tips, deep green above and glaucous, almost bluish-white beneath, giving the plant an exotic, architectural presence in the shade garden. Grown almost entirely for that striking foliage, this is a shrub for the collector rather than the crowd, and one virtually unknown in North American gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe plant belongs to the Daphniphyllaceae, a small family with a single genus, and the name Daphniphyllum simply means Daphne-leaf, for foliage that recalls the laurels. Like the rest of the genus, this species is dioecious, carrying male and female flowers on separate plants, so a pair is needed for the small, glaucous, blue-black fruits to follow. The flowers themselves are quiet, greenish and without petals, opening in spring; the leaves are the whole point.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNative to the hills and forest margins of southern China and northern Vietnam, Daphniphyllum calycinum is a genuine rarity in Western horticulture, offered by only a handful of specialist nurseries and seldom seen on this side of the world. That scarcity, together with the bold, glaucous-backed foliage, is exactly the draw for the collector. Reddish leaf-stalks and new growth add a further quiet flourish to the evergreen frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrow Daphniphyllum calycinum much as a rhododendron, in part to full shade and moist, well-drained, humus-rich, acidic soil, sheltered from harsh sun and wind. Slow-growing and evergreen, the shrub makes a bold-textured anchor for a woodland or shade planting where something out of the ordinary is wanted. The plant contains alkaloids and should be regarded as toxic if eaten, a point worth noting though the foliage is the reason to grow it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Woodlanders","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42057858842739,"sku":"DAPH-CALY-01G","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0605\/7505\/5987\/files\/DaphniphyllumcalycinumKewPOWO.jpg?v=1784304499","url":"https:\/\/woodlanders.net\/products\/daphniphyllum-calycinum","provider":"Woodlanders","version":"1.0","type":"link"}