Daphne genkwa is native to China and Korea, where it inhabits the margins of paddy fields, open hillsides, and valley slopes. It flowers on bare stems in early spring, the lilac-blue clusters appearing before any foliage is visible, which gives the shrub a quality close to the flowering cherries or forsythia: entirely defined by blossom in its brief season. The flower buds form on the current year's growth in autumn, which means that in climates with very hard winters the buds may not survive, and the following spring can be flowerless. A site with hot summers and reasonably mild winters is where this plant performs at its best.

At three to five feet tall and equally wide at maturity, it is a compact presence in the border. The gray-green foliage that follows the flowers is quietly handsome, and the shrub grows steadily over five years or so to its full form. One principle holds firm with this daphne: do not move it once planted. Its roots dislike disturbance, and transplanting established specimens reliably sets them back or kills them outright. Bees are drawn to the early flowers. All parts of the plant are poisonous and should be sited accordingly where children and pets are present.