Flowering now in the winter garden are several members of the Thymelaeceae family. The more showy of those include the genera Daphne and Edgeworthia. Also in riotous bloom, is their cousin, little-known, not so fragrant, and far less showy North American native, Dirca palustris. It’s also known by its common name, leatherwood, which comes from its tough, but pliable bark. Through the centuries, this Eastern North American native has been used by the earliest settlers to make rope, fishing line, and bow strings.
Although Dirca palustris starts flowering for us around Valentine’s Day, it’s the “Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree” member of family. Our 28 year old specimen has topped out at 6′ tall x 3′ wide. Although it grows in moist, slightly acidic soils, it has thrived for us in a very dry site, at the base of a giant dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Golden Ogi’). The genus takes its name from the Dirce in Greek Mythology, who bit the big one while tied to the horns of a bull….a truly sordid story. Winter hardiness is Zone 3-9.
Did you know Andra grafted edgeworthia onto dirca?
I did not, but am curious why, since they are so easy to propagate from cuttings.
Dirca is actually native to Wake and a few other NC counties. I don’t think it is a common in our state, as it is in other parts of the US. I didn’t know that it would bloom as early as Valentines Day. What is the method of propagation that is most successful?
We have not done much dirca propagation, but seed and early summer cuttings work fine.