Already from the middle of spring, early-flowering species of this shrub fill the air with fragrance. The plant is very decorative, unpretentious and appropriate in any garden.
Types and varieties of viburnum that will decorate your garden
Sometimes, during a walk in nature, you can feel the fragrance, the source of which is not always immediately possible to determine. And only after looking closely, you understand what’s what. The thing is that the small pink-white flowers of viburnum, which spread a wonderful aroma, are scattered over the still bare branches — it seems that these are remnants of former beauty from last season.
However, most early-flowering viburnums still open their buds simultaneously with the appearance of leaves. But Viburnum x bodnantense just refers to exceptions.
In the photo: Viburnum x bodnantense with a height of up to 3 m pleases the eye with its picturesque “appearance” and is especially appreciated for the fragrant flowers that appear in the southern regions already in April. At first, the buds bloom on bare branches (one of the first – in the variety ‘Charles Lamont’), later they are complemented by young leaves.
Together with her, V. farreri opens the spring season, which in the southern regions can delight with buds even in November. Both species bloom at the end of April.
Immediately after them, simultaneously with the appearance of young shoots, the buds of V. x. carlcephalum and V. burkwoodii — their sweet-creamy smell reigns in the garden in May. The leaves of the latter remain on the branches all winter and are replaced by new greenery only in spring.
In the photo: Viburnum burkwoodii in May and June conquers with numerous white inflorescences with a strong and pleasant aroma. This is an ideal candidate for growing in a tub near a resting place.
Similar winter—green decoration pleases such species as V. davidii, V. pragense and V. rhytidophyllum, which bloom in late May – June.
V. rhytidophyllum with a height of up to 3 m belongs to evergreen plants native to China. In June, dense fragrant inflorescences appear on the branches.
Viburnum plicatum ‘Rotundifolium’ has been endowed by nature with a particularly outstanding “appearance”. Its drooping branches in June are decorated with large inflorescences up to 15 cm in diameter (two photos above).
Important: the shrub does not tolerate drought well and needs a place protected from the wind.
Small viburnum flowers, as a rule, are collected in hemispherical or corymbose dense inflorescences.
And in V. opulus ‘Roseum’, as they bloom in June, they also change color.
In the photo: Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’, blooms especially profusely. At the same time, the inflorescence balls impress with a change of color: in May, only the blossoming buds have a greenish color (right), then they become snow-white and later, by the end of flowering (June), they acquire a pink hue. The shrub reaches 3.5 m in height and prefers the sun or partial shade.
However, not all representatives of the viburnum family can boast of flower pom-poms: in wild—growing species, for example, Viburnum opulus, they look like saucers; the same flat, with a pink bloom on the edge of the inflorescence – in V. plicatum of the ‘Pink Beauty’ variety. The latter also fascinates with a picturesque multi-tiered crown. And the new variety V. plicatum ‘Popcorn’ is characterized by abundant flowering and remains compact at a height of 1.5 m, so it can be grown in a tub.
For a small garden, the slow-growing and thermophilic Viburnum carlesii, which blooms in June and reaches a height of 1.5 m, is ideal.
The flower season is closed by late-flowering varieties in July. Moreover, many species in autumn also conquer with leaves of bright color and clusters of no less catchy fruits.
Boarding and care
The ideal time for planting viburnum is autumn. But if you buy a potted plant, you can plant it in the spring. All species prefer the sun or partial shade.
Only Viburnum opulus and Viburnum lantana need regular pruning, and then only when they began to take up too much space. The remaining species are enough to thin out once every 2-3 years. Viburnum plicatum is better not to “cut” at all, so that it does not lose its picturesqueness.
It is worth feeding the plants only if they grow weakly. They do not need watering, except for the first time after planting.
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