Viburnum Bod. Dawn 10L

Description

Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ – winter-flowering viburnum

Botanical name: Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’
Common names: Winter-flowering viburnum
Family: Adoxaceae
Plant type: Deciduous shrub
Habit: Upright, bushy
Pot size: 10 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 2.5–3m tall × 2m spread
Foliage: Green leaves, bronze-tinged when young, colouring in autumn; deciduous
Flowers: Clusters of richly fragrant pink flowers on bare stems through winter (November–March)
Scent: Strongly and sweetly fragrant flowers
Aspect / light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist but well-drained, fertile; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H6 (hardy, to about −20°C); USDA zones 5–8
Exposure: Sheltered or exposed; tolerant
Native range: Garden hybrid
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Low toxicity; any berries may cause mild stomach upset if eaten

Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ is a much-loved winter shrub bearing clusters of richly fragrant pink flowers on bare stems through the coldest months. One of the best of all plants for winter scent and cheer.

GardenAdvice notes

One of the most treasured of all winter shrubs, ‘Dawn’ produces its clusters of sweetly, powerfully fragrant pink flowers on bare stems from late autumn right through winter, filling the cold air with scent when almost nothing else is in bloom. Tough, hardy and easy, with bronze-tinged young foliage and autumn colour too, it is an essential plant for winter interest, best sited where its glorious fragrance can be enjoyed.

Growing & planting

Plant in autumn or spring in moist but well-drained, fertile soil in full sun to partial shade. Site it near a path, doorway or entrance where its winter scent can be appreciated as you pass. It is tough and adaptable. Water well while establishing.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. It needs little pruning — after flowering, remove any dead, damaged or crossing stems and thin or shorten growth to keep a good shape; cutting a proportion of the oldest stems to the base every few years keeps it vigorous. Feed and mulch in spring.

Propagation

• Cuttings: Take softwood cuttings in summer or hardwood cuttings in autumn.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free and healthy. Viburnum beetle and aphids can occasionally affect the foliage, but it is a tough, reliable shrub.

Uses in the garden

Superb near paths, doorways, gates and entrances where its winter fragrance can be enjoyed, in mixed and shrub borders, and in wildlife gardens, giving valuable scent and colour in the depths of winter.

Wildlife value

Valuable for wildlife: the winter flowers provide a rare source of nectar for any bees and pollinators active on mild winter days, and any berries are taken by birds.

Toxicity & safety

Winter-flowering viburnum has a low level of toxicity: any berries may cause mild stomach upset if eaten.

GardenAdvice tip

The whole point of ‘Dawn’ is its extraordinary winter scent, so plant it right beside a path, door or gate where you’ll pass it every day in winter and catch that sweet fragrance on the cold air. It flowers on bare stems from late autumn into spring, giving months of cheer when the garden needs it most, and asks for almost no pruning beyond the occasional thinning of old stems.

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