Plant of the Month for May
Viburnum
Viburnum spp.
As an admirer of white flowering plants and shrubs I had to choose this beauty
as my plant of the month. Sometimes known as Japanese snowball bush, this is a
medium sized shrub with large fragrant flowers and multi-veined, dark green
leaves.
Its very name ‘Grandiflorum’
describes the flower size - quite literally meaning large flowers. And this
free-growing cultivar of viburnum certainly has large, rounded clusters of
flowers, white in colour and gently perfumed.
It can be found within the
gardens at Myerscough growing in the Winter and Spring Flowering Border where at
this time of year it is a spectacular sight as the white flowerheads cascade
through the leaves and stems of neighbouring plants.
Another cultivar of
Viburnum plicatum found flowering at this
time is V. plicatum ‘Mariesii’, a
wonderful shrub with layers of horizontal stems bearing a profusion of white
flowers in flattened heads. These have small fertile central flowers and larger
sterile outer florets (as in lacecap
hydrangeas). The plant which also produces rich, dark red autumn foliage
can be seen growing in our Lime Tolerant and the Plant Families
borders.
Viburnums make good garden plants with a range of deciduous and
evergreen species and cultivars being grown for their attractive leaves, flowers
and in some cases berries or autumn foliage. Clusters of flowers are white,
pink-tinged or pink, and often scented, while berries can be red, yellow, black
or blue. Flowering can be in winter,
spring or early summer. Most are fully hardy though a few may require some
shelter. Many can grow to be large shrubs (3m or more tall) so need gardens with
space though can be pruned to a manageable size. They will grow in most soils in
full sun or partial shade.
