Burkwood viburnum

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; flowering is best with at least 4-6 hours of direct sun.

Water

Moderate; keep the root zone evenly moist while establishing, then water deeply during prolonged dry spells.

Soil

Well-drained soil enriched with organic matter; tolerates clay, loam, sand and a broad pH range, provided the roots do not remain waterlogged.

Height

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m)

Spread

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m)

Flowers

Early to mid-spring; rounded clusters of fragrant white flowers opening from pink buds.

Foliage

Opposite, oval, glossy dark-green leaves with paler undersides; sometimes burgundy or purple in autumn. Semi-evergreen in mild climates and deciduous in cold winters.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.9 ft (0.88 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.3 m)

4. After 3 years

   5 ft (1.6 m)

5. After 5 years

   8 ft (2.4 m)

   full size

About 5 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply through the first two growing seasons whenever the soil begins to dry.
• Apply a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) layer of organic mulch, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Top-dress with compost in spring; use a general shrub fertilizer only if growth is weak or the soil is poor.
• Allow room for its mature width rather than keeping it small by frequent clipping.
• For a better chance of fruit, grow a genetically different, compatible viburnum that flowers at the same time; fruit set can still be variable.

Pruning. Prune just after flowering, shortening wayward shoots and removing dead, damaged or crossing branches. To renew an older shrub, remove up to one-third of the oldest stems at ground level rather than shearing the whole plant.

Early spring

Top-dress with compost and renew mulch without covering the stem bases.

Spring

Check soft new growth for aphids and wash off small colonies with water.

Late spring

After flowering, prune only where needed to improve shape or remove old stems.

Summer

Water during prolonged dry weather, especially while the shrub is establishing.

Summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

Autumn

Plant where winters are mild and soil drains freely; in cold regions, favour spring planting.

• Place beside a path, entrance or seating area where you can enjoy the spring fragrance.
• Use in a mixed shrub border with hydrangeas and summer-flowering perennials to extend seasonal interest.
• Plant as an informal hedge or loose screen, allowing space for its rounded outline.
• Use at a bright woodland edge with hellebores, ferns and spring bulbs beneath it.

Garden styles it suits: English country, Cottage garden, Woodland, Sensory garden, Traditional and Low-maintenance.

Plant it with: Hellebores, Daffodils, Hardy geraniums, Hydrangeas, Japanese anemones and Male fern.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar and pollen for visiting insects. Birds may eat the fruits when these develop, and the branching offers shelter.

• Aphids can curl tender new leaves; wash off small colonies with a strong spray of water and encourage natural predators.
• Viburnum leaf beetle can cause chewed or skeletonized leaves where the pest occurs; inspect leaf undersides in spring, remove larvae and prune out egg-scarred twigs during dormancy.
• Powdery mildew may develop in crowded, dry or poorly ventilated positions; improve airflow and water the soil during drought rather than wetting the foliage.
• Poor drainage can cause root decline and dieback; redirect standing water or move the shrub to a better-drained site.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. The fruits are not intended for eating and may cause stomach upset if consumed in quantity.

• Koreanspice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii)

  Also has fragrant white flowers opening from pink buds, but its leaves are usually duller and more softly hairy, and it is deciduous rather than semi-evergreen.

• David viburnum (Viburnum davidii)

  Forms a much lower, spreading evergreen shrub with three conspicuous veins running along each leathery leaf; its small flower clusters lack Burkwood viburnum's strong fragrance.

The epithet burkwoodii commemorates the Burkwood nursery family, who raised this hybrid of Viburnum carlesii and Viburnum utile.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer and root them in a moist, free-draining medium under humid conditions. Layering low branches is another option; seedlings do not reliably retain the hybrid's characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Viburnum burkwoodii

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.