Variegated Daphniphyllum macropodum

In my home office in Albany, Oregon, I have a copy of a painting by Johannes Vermeer: “The Girl with the Pearl Earring.” The original, painted in 1665, is on permanent display in the Mauritshuis art museum in The Hague, Netherlands. I visited the museum last summer and this painting is the focal point of the museum’s extensive collection. It’s oil on canvas, 44 by 39 centimeters, so not large, yet breathtaking when you are standing in front of it.

Great gardens are like museums for plants, and some gardens contain masterpieces that take your breath away. Variegated Daphniphyllum macropodum is one of those great horticultural works of art. Native to Japan, Korea and China, D. macropodum is a small tree that reaches a height of 15 to 25 feet. The variegated form is exceedingly rare and beautiful. It is hardy in USDA zones 6B through 10. Its evergreen leaves resemble a rhododendron, and brightly colored red petioles add to the tree’s beauty.

D. macropodum is dioicous with separate male and female plants. Female plants will bear blue, oval shaped fruit in May and June and will have fertile seeds if pollinated by a male tree in proximity. It grows best in light shade, planted in well-drained, slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter.

Propagation of variegated Daphniphyllum can be done from stem cuttings taken in early summer from new growth. They should be about 6 inches long and score on two sides with a sterile knife. Dip the cuttings in rooting hormone and stick them in a well-drained propagation media. Keep them evenly moist and rooting occurs in 4-6 weeks. Variegated D. macropodumcan also be grown from seed, and I have seen some beautiful trees with extraordinary variegation that were grown from seed.

Sebright Gardens in Salem, Oregon, has several variegated Daphniphyllum and the most beautiful one was grown from seed. The first time I saw it a few years ago, I had the same feeling as I did while standing in front of “The Girl with the Pearl Earring.” It was a masterpiece.