Viburnum davidii

David viburnum is a handsome, compact little shrub, with eye-catching foliage. The leaves have prominent, deep veins, which give this shrub an additional 3D image. They are elliptic, emerald green with rich red or burgundy red stalks, young twigs, and flower buds. The flowers open in early spring in C.E. conditions or in autumn in milder climates, but are not the key feature. When pollinated they produce deep sky blue fruits ripening in the autumn.

Thanks to its size and lush foliage David viburnum has multiple uses. It is an ideal plant for the edge of a large border, or it can stand as a small specimen plant in a small front yard, but mostly it is used as a companion plant for combination with larger shrubs and plants with stems where it works perfectly as beautiful undergrowth.

David viburnum requires fertile, evenly moist but well-drained, preferably acid soil in part shade. If placed in full sun it may be prone to sunscorch in harsh winters of zone 6. If covered with snow it can take temperatures down to -24°C. Our plant has survived -27°C for 3 consecutive nights this way. If the top leaves are damaged after winter just cut them off or prune the whole plant lightly to encourage new growth. It will soon look nice again and will get bushier.

Last update 13-10-2012