ABSTRACT
Daphnes have a complex taxonomy open to interpretation and amendment involving 15 subgenera and ten sections. Opinions differ widely on choice of the most suitable rootstock to ensure compatibility and good performance. One of the most commonly available rootstocks is Daphne mezereum, but this deciduous species is considered by many to be unsuitable for evergreens, which, when grafted to it, become semi-evergreen and eventually fail to thrive. Wedge – often termed cleft or inlay – grafting is frequently recommended. With these methods, the relatively soft, stringy wood of Daphne promotes what can only be described as a crude grafting technique. Apical grafting is usually proposed; considering the difficulties of maintaining health and vitality in the rootstock, this is a surprising suggestion. Practical experience of raising the main species for rootstocks, Daphne longilobata or D. acutiloba, emphasises the difficulty of successfully producing healthy rootstocks. Daphne cneorum has been grafted using root pieces.
