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Plants, Pictures, and Information

              - all about the Genus Daphne

Daphne x houtteana Lindley & Paxton (1851)

Hybrid parents: Daphne mezereum x Daphne laureola

a cross of unknown origin - it is not known what parent is the motherplant / 1850 Louis van Houtte published the first illustration / up to 1,5 m tall and nearly wide / the selection ‘Louis van Houtte’ has black-red coloured leaves and reddish flowers / hardy plant / semi-deciduous

Due to the diversity of branching, flower and leave colour the following new cross shall have the name:

Daphne x houtteana ‘Chameleon’  breeder Dirk M. Jockel  

Height 0,6 m and 0,8 m width / semi-evergreen / scented / half-shadowed place

This cross was made some years ago with Daphne mezereum as motherplant and Daphne laureola subsp. laureola as pollen-plant. The dark leave colour develops during cold periods when the sun shines on the leaves.  

The dark leave colour is not homogenous. Sometimes fire-red stripes go through this dark background, an excellent contrast.

The colouring of the leaves is a form of protection with pigments. This principle we also find on other plant species.

The flowers of Daphne x houtteana ‘Chameleon’ open white to greenish white. With age the flower colour turns into different shades of red. Sometimes occur seed set with red fruits but the fruits do not germinate, in most cases they are more or less empty.

On Daphne x houtteana ‘Chameleon’ develops besides normal branches also cristate growth where many short shoots are grown together.

Left:

Daphne x houtteana 'Louis van Houtte'

Left:

Daphne x houtteana ‘Chameleon’ shrub

Left:

Daphne x houtteana ‘Chameleon’  dark coloured leaves

Below:

Aging flowers of Daphne x houtteana ‘Chameleon’, the colour of the blossoms changes from greenish-white into red colour