Sweet Viburnum

Sweet Viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) is the most planted screening hedge in Australia, and for good reason. It grows fast, holds large glossy leaves right down to the ground, and takes clipping better than almost anything in its size class. Left alone it reaches about 5m to 6m tall and 4m wide; kept trimmed it sits comfortably at 2m to 3m. Planted a metre apart it closes into a solid green wall in two to three seasons, and the clusters of white spring flowers carry a genuine scent.

Why you'll love it

• Fast, and dense with it. Plenty of plants grow quickly. This one grows quickly and stays thick at the base, which is what actually delivers privacy.
• It suits nearly every Australian climate. Frost hardy, heat tolerant, humidity tolerant and salt tolerant, so it works from tropical gardens through to cool temperate ones.
• You set the height. Two trims a year hold it between 1.5m and 3m. Stop trimming and it grows on into a small tree.
• It clips into shape. Dense branching takes formal hedges and topiary without going bare inside, because it reshoots from old wood.

Where it works best

Hedging and privacy screens. Plant 1m apart in a single row for a hedge you will hold at 2m to 3m. For a taller screen you intend to let run, stretch that to 1.5m.

Windbreaks and boundaries. A staggered double row at 1m spacing filters wind across an exposed block and takes the edge off road noise.

Coastal gardens. The thick leaves take salt wind without tattering, and clipped blocks and standards hold their shape.

Growing Sweet Viburnum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest hedge. It grows in part shade, though the screen stays looser. Suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, and it is frost hardy once established.

Soil. Any reasonable garden soil that drains. On heavy clay, plant on a raised mound with compost dug through the whole trench rather than just the planting holes, and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stems.

Water. This is the honest part. Sweet Viburnum is often sold as drought tolerant and it is not, particularly. Deep soak twice a week through the first two summers and keep the water up in long dry periods after that. A hedge under water stress thins out and drops its lower leaves.

Feed and pruning. Controlled release fertiliser in early spring and late summer, more where the hedge is trimmed hard. Tip prune from planting so it branches low, then trim after the spring flush and again in late summer.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in a wide range of sizes, from tube and 140mm packs of ten through 180mm, 200mm and 250mm packs, then 300mm and 400mm pots and on to 30L, 45L and 75L. For a long boundary the small sizes are the value choice: a season slower to close, but quick to establish. The 30L and larger sizes arrive already branched with height on day one.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse all hedging and screening plants
• Compare the core hedging range
• Fast growing plants for quick privacy
• Climbing Fig, for covering a fence instead

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row for a clipped hedge at 2m to 3m. Stretch to 1.5m if you are letting it grow into a tall informal screen.

How fast does it grow?

Up to about a metre a year in a warm garden with water and feed, once the roots are away. Slower in the first year, and slower again in cool temperate gardens and in shade.

Why are the leaves going yellow?

Usually water or nutrition. Uneven watering causes yellowing in the lower half of the plant, and a regularly trimmed hedge runs short of nitrogen. Deep watering and a spring feed generally fix it.