Eric La Fountaine wrote today's entry and took the photo.

This species was previously featured on BPotD and again here. Today's photo is undoubtedly from a different specimen. Daphniphyllum macropodum is dioecious. The magenta buds in this image will open into male flowers—berries will not form on this plant. The bright yellow-green emergence of new leaves contrasted with the magenta bracts and flower buds makes for a striking spring show.

This large evergreen shrub is native to China, Japan and Korea. It is not common in cultivation, but makes a good structural evergreen for shade. The plants are varied and can grow as tall as 20 metres, but heights of 3 to 6 metres are what we see here at UBC Botanical Garden. Several need to be planted close together if the beautiful blue fruit is desired.

According to the Flora of China and the Plants for a Future Website, the wood of Daphniphyllum macropodum is used for furniture and decorative woodwork.