These are some of the larger daphnes, making shrubs that may be a metre or more high. They have finely scented flowers, mostly white to pink, but there are also yellow-flowered species. Most are evergreen, but there are also deciduous ones, and most have showy red or orange fruit, so are beautiful garden plants twice in the year.

Daphne mezereum f. alba is a small shrub, with upright stems, almost covered with scented, white flowers early in the year, shortly before the fresh green leaves open. It has yellow fruit, clustered along the stems, in August.