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Perfume Viburnum.

I'm interested in planting a perfume viburnum. I went to a RHS garden today to check out their selection of viburnums. Fell in love with a viburnum burkwoodii. The perfume is so intoxicating!! There is also a more compact variety..'juddii' but not much perfume. The height of burkwoodii is about 8-9 feet. I expect I can maintaine the height by serious/careful prunning??Any thoughts/suggestions from fellow gardeners?

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    How small do you need it to be?


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Something in the region of 5-6 feet. I'm told with careful prunning I can maintaine buckwoodii in that region. The compact 'juddii' size is ideal but I don't rate the perfume too highly.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    I don't think it should be a problem - I would try to grow it on as short a leg as possible,  and then when it was near to reaching the maximum height you want it to be I would take out one third of the canes at the base after flowering - two or three years later take out another third and two or three years after that take out the last third. That will have rejuvenated the shrub and reduced it's overall height.  

    It'll then take quite some time to grow near to the optimum height again but when it does you can again coppice one third and repeat as previously. 

    I've not done it with Viburnums, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.  Unless anybody else knows different ............ ?


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Thanks Dovefromabove....I needed to hear something positive. Yes I must get one!

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307

    Our V. juddii is very highly scented.

    The most scented one we know of is Charis, that is a much smaller growing shrub. Another lower growing and very scented one is V.Mohawk.

    We have about 25 different Viburnums in the garden.

  • chickychicky Posts: 10,409

    There was a beautifully scented viburnum carlesii at Hidcote this week - almost daphne like in both flower and scent - might be worth checking outimage

  • Thanks Berghill and chicky.

  • rosemummyrosemummy Posts: 2,010

    fluffy i just got a burkwoodii from aldi! looks healthy and i plan to keep it maybe 6 foot

  • Ooooh thanks. Yes 6 ft is acceptable.

  • rosemummy.... local aldi did not have any shrubs. I splash out and bought a v. buckwoodii. Its now in the ground. With TLC I hope to enjoy the blooms next year!!!

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