This slow growing Chinese evergreen viburnum is a useful plant for the edge of shrub borders as it never gets too big (four by four foot when mature), and grows into a pleasing dome shape. It is an excellent winter 'furnisher' with attractive ridged and veined leaves, ideal for winter flower arrangements. The flowers are pleasing, too. They appear in late spring as flattened terminal cymes, made up of tiny white tubular blooms, and seem to last for weeks. Viburnum davidii looks good in borders and is an excellent candidate for woodland planting. Grow it in moderately fertile, moist but well drained soil in full sun or light shade.
Propagation: Sow seed in containers in a cold frame or seed bed in autumn. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer. |
Viburnum bodnantense with its rose red flowers needs no introduction. Its cultivar, Viburnum x bodnantense 'Deben', shares many of its qualities and deserves to be better known. Like its illustrious forebear, it is an upright deciduous shrub that grows to about ten feet with a six foot spread when mature and has similar oblong, dark green leaves, bronze when young. In contrast, however, its flower clusters are white rather than bright pink and, to my eyes, more refined. They do have a slight pink tinge sometimes but are always sweetly scented. Like other viburnums, 'Deben' thrives in a moderately fertile, moist but well drained, soil in full sun or light shade.
Propagation: Take greenwood cuttings in summer. |
The legendary plant hunter, Reginald Farrer, found this charming winter flowering deciduous viburnum on an expedition to northern China early this century. It is one of the parents of Viburnum bodnantense (Viburnum farreri x V. grandiflorum) but grown less often than its showier offspring. An erect shrub with oval, dark green leaves that are bronze when young, it looks prettiest in autumn and winter when the leaves turn an impressive reddish/purple and white or pale pink, sweetly scented flowers appear. Viburnum farreri may be grown in any moderately fertile, moist but well drained, soil in full sun or partial shade.
Propagation: Sow seed in containers in a cold frame or seed bed in autumn. Take greenwood cuttings in summer. |
