Almost unknown in the trade, Daphniphyllum macropodum is a member of the Daphniphyllaceae, one of 15 species of evergreen shrubs or trees native to China, Japan and Korea. In Japan, it is considered a woodland, stream-side species to 40', with seed dispersal primarily by birds. Daphniphyllum sports evergreen, leathery, glossy oblong leaves to 8 inches with silver-gray undernsides. Like Daphne, the leaves are crowded and often whorled at the branch tips. The petiole is one to two inches long and in some forms blushes red into the leaf midrib and out.
Single plants fail to fruit.
For good set, planting five or more individuals in close proximity is a good idea. We have run several seed sources and find the seed germinates readily after the fruit, a single-seeded drupe, has been cleaned. The variability in leaf shape, petiole-midrib color, and plant structure is enough to justify further propagation trials. Plant growth in the first few years is slow, but once established, the species is quite durable. Daphniphyllum requires a part-shade to shady location.