Our growers deliver exquisite plant material to professional garden designers across the country. They tell us that their demanding clients are asking for handsome, fragrant plants that are resources for local birds and butterflies. With light pink buds that open to white flower clusters, Burkwood Viburnum (Viburnum x burkwoodii) delivers a marvelous springtime fragrance. It’s sweetly floral with rich notes of amber and spice. You will cherish these incredibly fragrant plants. So will everyone within range of their heady aroma!
That includes jewel-toned hummingbirds and showy butterflies. The plentiful, mounded clusters are a perfect early-season nectar resource for our critical beneficial pollinators. Small new leaves lengthen as the days warm up. They are lavishly held to cover the well-branched, twiggy Burkwood. Each dark green leaf features a lustrous sheen and prominent veins from the midrib. This lovely variety is right at home in high-profile areas, including modern foundation plantings.
Designers rely on these gorgeous workhorses to deliver beautiful results all season long. The leaves remain evergreen in warmer climates. If you live in a cold-winter area, watch for a vivid fall color display as the nights start getting cooler to burnish the foliage. Bold purple and red fall hues rival any other shrub in its size group.
Small red berries dangle in the same clustered arrangement as the flowers from which they developed. The fruit doesn’t linger long (birds love them!), so you may not get a chance to see them mature to glossy black.
Planting and Application:
Formal enough for the front yard, its fragrance and ornamental features are certainly welcome in backyard entertainment areas. Plant a single shrub to anchor your foundation planting. Use two of them, flanking either side of your front door. If you keep your bedroom windows open, use a short row underneath. You’ll enjoy a blissful night’s rest.
Plant several to encourage the best flower power. And you’ll want plenty on hand to take a few branches for cut flower arrangements. Tie the look of your space together with Burkwood in several areas. Even small space gardens can easily leverage this professional tip. These durable Viburnums make a terrific plant to give as thoughtful housewarming gifts. They are especially nice near entrances and patios.
Fantastic pollinator garden backdrops, these are fantastic wildlife and songbird-friendly shrubs! Plant in rows or groupings for lush habitats that all walks of life will adore! Shelterbelts for birds, larval host plants for insects (not the kind that ‘bug’ you though!) and food for migratory birds in the fall! Make your neighbors happy and plant a long hedge that rarely needs trimming. Space them three and a half feet apart, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next. Add additional rows in a staggered, zigzagging planting pattern.
- Sweet Pink Flower Buds Open White
- Fragrance, Foliage and Fall Color
- Butterflies, Honey Bees, Hummingbirds and Songbirds Love These Shrubs
- Excellent Densely Branched Shrub
- Lustrous Semi-Evergreen in Warm Climates
- Outstanding Purple and Red Fall Color & Showy Red Fruit Matures to Black
Tips for Care:
Because this Viburnum variety can grow in either full sun or partial shade, Burkwood Viburnum is a good choice to use throughout your landscape. Well-drained soil is best, but it will adapt to many soil types that shed water quickly after a rain event. Carefully water new shrubs during their first season. After it is established in your soil, you’ll want to protect your investment with a medium amount of water on a regular basis.
Wait until after the flowers are finished to correct any branching. Please plan for their eventual mature height and width to avoid pruning for size control. They flower on last year’s growth, so don’t delay too long to prune crossing or broken branches. Develop a pruning plan and avoid taking off too much…you’d hate to risk losing the gorgeous berries for the year. Instead, Renewal prune every 3 – 4 years by removing the oldest fattest stems to the ground and encouraging new growth still enjoy the berries. If you live in an area with heavy deer pressure, you’ll want to apply deer repellent on the day you plant. Reapply according to the directions to protect your investment.
- Full Sun or Partial Shade
- Almost Any Well-Drained Soil
- Prune After Flowering & Appreciates Mulch
- Moderate Moisture Needs
- Deer Tend to Leave it Alone & Juglone Resistant
