Viburnum tinus
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- vih-BUR-num TIN-us
- Description
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Laurustine is a broadleaf evergreen, woody shrub in the viburnum family (Viburnaceae). The plant is native to the Mediterranean areas of Europe and North Africa.
It requires full sun to partial shade and soil with good drainage. Give it a site with 6 to 12 feet of available space to grow as this shrub makes a wide footprint at maturity. Fruit set requires that another viburnum type be planted nearby. Laurustine is deer, drought and salt tolerant.
This shrub blooms from winter to spring with clusters of pink buds opening to fragrant and showy white flowers attracting butterflies, birds and bees. The leaves are a lustrous, dark green year-round. Black or blue fruits are a source of food for wildlife.
Use this shrub as a specimen or hedge in coastal shade gardens or foundation plantings, borders or privacy screens. It is used in a variety of landscape themes including butterfly, cottage, pollinator and winter gardens.
Quick ID
- Evergreen shrub with winter flowers in terminal cymes.
- Ovate leaves have hair tufts on the underside.
- Pink-budded flowers open to white.
- Metallic blue drupes mature to black.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases. These include fungal and algal leaf spot, powdery mildew, downy mildew, botryospheria dieback and canker, armillaria root rot, aphids, flower thrips, spider mites, scale and root weevils.
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Pond and Stream Coastal Shade Garden Woodland Backyard Garden Walk
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Bewley's Variegated'
Leaves with a thin white or cream edge. - 'Compactum' marketed as Spring Bouquet
Dense, compact shrubs. - 'Gwenllian'
strongly fragrant pinkish-white flowers. Earned the Royal Horticulture Society's Award of Garden Merit. - 'Lisa Rosa'
Flower buds are dark pink. - 'Lucidum'
Large leaves - 'Variegatum'
Leaves edged in cream, yellow and pink.
- 'Bewley's Variegated'
- 'Bewley's Variegated', 'Compactum' marketed as Spring Bouquet, 'Gwenllian', 'Lisa Rosa', 'Lucidum', 'Variegatum'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Bewley's Variegated'
Leaves with a thin white or cream edge. - 'Compactum' marketed as Spring Bouquet
Dense, compact shrubs. - 'Gwenllian'
strongly fragrant pinkish-white flowers. Earned the Royal Horticulture Society's Award of Garden Merit. - 'Lisa Rosa'
Flower buds are dark pink. - 'Lucidum'
Large leaves - 'Variegatum'
Leaves edged in cream, yellow and pink.
- 'Bewley's Variegated'
- 'Bewley's Variegated', 'Compactum' marketed as Spring Bouquet, 'Gwenllian', 'Lisa Rosa', 'Lucidum', 'Variegatum'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Viburnum
- Species:
- tinus
- Family:
- Viburnaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Layering
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Mediterranean area of Europe and North Africa
- Wildlife Value:
- Attracts butterflies, birds, and bees
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- This plant is mildly resistant to damage by deer; drought
- Dimensions:
- Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Blue
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Winter
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Fruit is an ovoid, berry-like, one-seeded drupe, blue maturing to purplish-black, 0.4 in.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Winter
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Pink buds open to 2 to 4 in. clusters of waxy flattened white flowers in late winter to early spring. The inflorescence is a convex terminal cyme.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Variegated
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves opposite, simple, narrowly ovate to oblong, entire, lustrous dark green above and paler with axillary hair tufts beneath; petiole usually pubescent.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Screen/Privacy
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Salt
