Bodnant viburnum

Bodnant viburnum: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright shrub, later spreading a little, 2.5–3 m tall and 1.5–2 m wide.

Leaves

Oval and toothed, with deeply impressed veins; bronze when young, red to purple in autumn.

Flowers

Dense clusters of small tubular flowers on the bare stems, from November to March.

Colour

Deep pink in bud, pale pink when open, fading to almost white.

Scent

Sweet and powerful, strongest on mild, still days.

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

Why grow it?

• Flowers in the depths of winter, from November to March, when almost nothing else does.
• A sweet scent you can smell from a distance on mild days: ideal by the front door or along a path.
• Early bees and bumblebees find food on it on mild winter days.
• Bronze young leaves in spring and red to purple autumn colour.
• Fully hardy and easy.
• Stems in bud open quickly in a vase indoors.

Bodnant viburnum: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; it flowers best in sun.
• Sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky, preferably humus-rich.
• Moist soil: do not let it dry out in summer.
• Sheltered from cold east winds, which turn the open flowers brown.
• Plant it close to the house or a path and allow 1.5–2 m of space.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

3 m tall, 2 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Witch hazel: Fragrant yellow or orange winter flowers beside the pink clusters.
• Christmas rose: Winter flowers at its feet, in the same partial shade.
• Snowdrop: A white carpet beneath the bare stems in February.
• Winter heath: Small pink or white flowers from January to March, as a low edging.

Bodnant viburnum: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or October–November, when the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in a few spadefuls of compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot and firm the soil well.
4. Keep 1.5–2 m away from other shrubs.
5. Water in thoroughly straight away, even if it is raining.
6. Spread a mulch of leaf mould or wood chips around the base.

Care

Watering

Weekly in dry weather in the first year. After that, water generously at the base in dry summers.

Feeding

In April, compost or an organic shrub feed.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould keeps the soil cool and moist.

Cutting for the vase

In December, cut a few stems in bud for a vase: indoors they open quickly and scent the room.

Renewal

Remove a few old stems each spring, so young, free-flowering stems keep coming.

Tip: Plant it by the front door, a window or a path you use often in winter, so you really enjoy the scent. In December, cut a few stems in bud for a vase indoors.

Bodnant viburnum: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March–April.

When: After flowering, in March or April.

How:

• Each year, remove one or two of the oldest, thickest stems at the base.
• Remove dead and weak stems and cut back any stems that stick out to a side branch.
• Do not trim the tips in summer or autumn: that is where the flower buds for winter are.
• Renovate a neglected shrub over three years: a third of the old stems each spring.

Caution: The flower buds form as early as summer, so prune only in spring, straight after flowering.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Softwood cuttings

In May–June: 10 cm cuttings from young shoots, lower leaves removed, in moist cutting compost under plastic.

Semi-ripe cuttings

In July–August in the same way; keep them frost-free over winter.

Layering

Low stems often root where they touch the ground. Peg one down in spring and sever it after a year.

Bodnant viburnum: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• Hard frost turns the open flowers brown, but the closed buds survive and open in the next mild spell.
• A spot sheltered from cold wind gives the best winter display.
• In a pot: stand it against a sheltered wall and wrap the pot in hessian.

Diseases and pests

• Brown flowers: Frost or cold wind on the open flowers. Normal in a cold spell; new buds will follow. A sheltered spot helps.
• Aphids: On young leaves in spring, which then curl. Ladybirds usually deal with them; otherwise hose them off.
• Bare base: Old shrubs become bare at the bottom. Renew by removing a few old stems at the base each spring.
• Few flowers: Too much shade or pruned in summer or autumn. Prune only after flowering and give more light.

Through the year

• January: In flower. Enjoy the scent on mild days.
• February: In flower. Cut stems for a vase.
• March: Last flowers. After flowering, remove a few old stems at the base. Plant.
• April: Finish pruning. Plant. Give compost and mulch.
• May: Watch for aphids. Take softwood cuttings.
• July: Water in dry weather. Take semi-ripe cuttings.
• October: Autumn colour. Plant.
• November: First flowers on the bare stems. Plant.
• December: In flower. Cut stems in bud for a vase.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• It arose in the 1930s at Bodnant Garden in North Wales and is named after that garden.
• One of its parents, Viburnum farreri, is named after the English plant collector Reginald Farrer.
• The flower buds are formed as early as summer and wait for mild winter days to open.