Laurustinus Viburnum

Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus) is the hedge for gardeners who want a dense evergreen wall that flowers through the coldest months. Left untrimmed it reaches about 3m tall and 2.5m wide, and it clips to anything from a 1m border to a 2.5m boundary screen. Pink buds open to white flower clusters from late autumn into spring, followed by metallic blue berries the birds work through.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers when little else does. Pink buds open white across the cool months, so the hedge performs in July as well as October.
• Dense right to the base. It branches low and holds leaf at ground level, not a row of bare legs with a green top.
• You set the height. About 3m left alone, or an easy 1.5m to 2m hedge with two trims a year. It also takes clipped shapes.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, drought tolerant once established, salt tolerant and wind tolerant, so it holds up on exposed coastal blocks.

Where it works best

Hedging and screening. Plant 1m apart in a single row. The canopies knit into a solid wall within two to three seasons.

Topiary and shaping. The small leaf and tight branching clip better than most flowering shrubs, so it suits balls, cones and clipped standards.

Coastal and windy gardens. Salt and wind tolerance suit a beachside boundary, where soft leafed screening plants fail.

Feature planting. As a single shrub it makes a rounded 3m specimen that flowers in winter.

Growing Laurustinus in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering and densest growth, part shade a looser plant with fewer flowers. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and subtropical gardens and is properly frost hardy, so cold southern and tableland districts are within range. In the humid tropics constant humidity brings on leaf spot.

Soil. Not fussy provided it drains. Dig compost through the bed, raise the row on a mound on heavy clay, and mulch 75mm deep clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off. It is drought tolerant after two seasons, though a clipped hedge always wants more water. Feed with a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and late summer.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to build density low down. Trim after the spring flush finishes, then lightly in late summer to protect the buds forming for the next cool season. It reshoots from old wood.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow this one in seven sizes: tube stock, 140mm, 200mm, 250mm, 300mm and 400mm pots, and 30L. Tube stock and the smaller packs are the value choice for a long boundary. The 300mm and 400mm sizes are the usual middle ground, and 30L plants arrive already branched with real height.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect new growth within four to six weeks in the warmer months. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to plant and maintain a sharp looking hedge
• Compare our hedging and screening range.
• See other screening plants in the 2m to 4m band.
• Browse topiary and clipped shapes.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Planting tighter does not close the gap faster and makes watering and air movement harder.

How fast does it grow?

Moderate rather than fast, roughly 30 to 50cm of height a year once established, and slower in cooler gardens. A hedge from 200mm stock reads as solid in the third year.

Will it flower if I clip it as a hedge?

Yes, provided you time the trim. Cut it back after the flowers finish in spring rather than in autumn, because an autumn trim removes the buds about to open through winter.