VIBURNUM

A great many viburnums offer excellent value for the garden with their good form and pretty flowers, which are often followed by conspicuous fruit and autumn colour. According to The Hillier Manual of Trees & Shrubs, it is a large genus of more than 200 species (although current thinking is that the number is closer to 180) from North and South America, Europe, Asia and North Africa. They are mostly shrubby, but occasionally make small trees, and can be either evergreen or deciduous. Many viburnums have beautifully scented flowers, although, in stark contrast, the wood can smell odious when it is bruised or cut.

Although the genus offers interest throughout the year,x will make its presence known, even before it has been seen. The good scent is a feature undoubtedly inherited from its parent . . It is worth noting the flowers are quite hardy and unperturbed by late frosts.