Fragrant viburnum

Fragrant viburnum: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright shrub, later somewhat vase-shaped, about 2.5 m tall and 2 m wide, with stiff stems.

Leaves

Oval, 4–10 cm, toothed, with prominent parallel veins, in opposite pairs. Bronze when young, red-purple in autumn.

Flowers

Small, tubular flowers in clusters of 3–5 cm, from November to March, on the bare stems.

Colour

Pink buds, opening white to pale pink; pure white in ‘Candidissimum’.

Scent

Sweet and strong, best noticed on a mild, still day.

Fruit

Sometimes small red berries that turn black; they are not very noticeable.

Flowering: November–March · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: April

Why grow it?

• Flowers in the depths of winter, from November to March, on the bare stems.
• Strong, sweet scent: a few sprigs in a vase are surprisingly fragrant indoors.
• Early nectar and pollen for bees and bumblebees on mild winter days.
• Attractive bronze-tinted young leaves and red-purple autumn colour.
• Easy and hardy, on sand, loam and clay.

Fragrant viburnum: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; it flowers most freely in sun.
• Any well-drained garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Moderately moist soil, without waterlogging.
• Plant it where you often pass in winter, by the front door or along a path, ideally sheltered from cold easterly winds.
• Allow 2 m per plant.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

2.5 m tall, 2 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Snowdrop: A white carpet under the shrub in February.
• Lenten rose: Flowers at the same time and tolerates the partial shade under the branches.
• Winter heath: Low pink or white winter flowers at the base.
• Witch hazel: Yellow or orange winter flowers beside the white and pink clusters.
• Red-barked dogwood: Red stems that stand out beautifully in winter.

Fragrant viburnum: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or October–November, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and loosen the bottom.
3. Mix a few spadefuls of compost into the soil you dug out.
4. Set the shrub at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil well.
5. Water in thoroughly straight away.
6. Spread a mulch of compost or wood chips around the base.

Care

Water

Regularly in dry spells during the first year. After that, only in long dry periods.

Feeding

In April, after flowering, a spadeful of compost or some organic fertiliser. Nothing more is needed.

Mulching

A layer of compost or leaf mould in spring keeps the soil moist and weed-free.

Spent flowers

No need to remove them: they drop by themselves.

Space

Let it grow freely; constant trimming costs flowers.

Tip: Plant it by the front door or along a path so you can enjoy the scent in winter. Prune only lightly, in April, straight after flowering.

Fragrant viburnum: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April.

When: In April, straight after flowering, and only lightly. It flowers on the previous year’s wood.

How:

• Remove dead, weak and crossing stems.
• Every few years, take out one or two of the oldest stems at the base; new shoots will come up from below.
• Shorten over-long stems to a side branch so the shrub keeps its natural shape.

Caution: Do not prune in summer or autumn: you would remove the stems that are due to flower in winter.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Softwood cuttings

In June–July: 10 cm cuttings from young shoots, lower leaves removed, in moist cutting compost under plastic. They root fairly easily.

Layering

Low stems that touch the ground often root by themselves. In spring, peg a stem down into the soil and sever it a year later.

Fragrant viburnum: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy to about −25 °C: no protection needed in Belgium.
• In hard frost, open flowers turn brown; buds that are still closed open normally once the weather turns milder.
• In a large pot: stand it in a sheltered spot against a wall and wrap the pot in hessian in hard frost.

Diseases and pests

• Aphids: On young shoots in spring; the leaves curl. Ladybirds usually deal with them; otherwise hose them off with water.
• Browned flowers: Caused by hard frost. Nothing needs doing: new flowers follow when the weather turns milder.
• Poor flowering: Usually caused by pruning in summer or autumn, or by too much shade. From now on prune only after flowering.
• Bare at the base: An old shrub becomes bare at the base. Every few years, remove a few old stems so that young shoots can come through.

Through the year

• January: Flowering. Cut sprigs for the vase.
• February: Flowering. Bees visit on mild days.
• March: Last flowers. Plant.
• April: Light pruning after flowering. Give compost. Plant.
• May: New bronze leaves. Watch for aphids.
• June: Take softwood cuttings. Water in dry spells.
• July: Water in dry spells. No more pruning.
• October: Red-purple autumn colour. Plant.
• November: First flowers. Plant.
• December: Flowering on the bare stems.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• It is named after Reginald Farrer, an English plant collector and writer best known for his books on rock garden plants.
• A cross with Viburnum grandiflorum produced the winter-flowering Viburnum × bodnantense in the 1930s, in the garden at Bodnant in Wales.
• For a long time it was called Viburnum fragrans, but that name had already been given to another plant, so it was renamed Viburnum farreri.