Mezereon (Daphne mezereum), commonly known as the February Daphne for its late winter flowering, is a small, semi-evergreen, deciduous shrub with an upright, bushy growth habit that usually grows 3 to 5 feet tall and wide.
It is native to the forests, forest edges, and shrub areas of Western Asia and Europe. Daphne is a genus of 70-95 species[1] of shrubs in the family Thymelaeaceae.
The dark green oblanceolate leaves are up to 3.5-inches long, spiraling along the stems. The fragrant pink to reddish-purple flowers (up to 1/2″ wide each) bloom in stemless clusters (2 to 4 flowers per cluster) from the end of March to early April before the leaves appear.
The flowers are typically followed by small fruits (drupes up to 3/8″ long) that ripen in June. Mezereon is also known as Milkweed Laurel.
