Viburnum tinus
Laurustinus
Common names: Laurustine
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Hardiness
- Hardy with protection
- Pruning
- Mar–Apr
- Flowering
- Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec
Photo: Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Description
The laurel snowball (Viburnum tinus) is an evergreen shrub with dark‑green, laurel‑like leaves that provides winter structure in the garden. From November to April it displays pinkish‑white flower spikes, filling the cold months when few other plants bloom. After flowering, small bluish‑black berries form, which are mildly toxic to humans and pets, so children should avoid tasting them. It grows densely and compactly in a sheltered, mild spot and is well suited as a privacy hedge or solitary specimen near a house.
Care instructions
Plant the laurel snowball in a wind‑protected spot with sun to partial shade, ideally against a wall or house that buffers night cold. The soil should be well‑drained and moderately fertile; in heavy soils add sand or gravel for drainage. In harsh winters, provide winter protection with mulch or fabric, especially in the first few years until the shrub is established. Water young plants regularly during dry periods; mature plants tolerate occasional watering. A post‑flower pruning in spring keeps the shape compact, though it is not essential as the shrub naturally grows densely.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringJan–Apr, Nov–Dec
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, humus-rich, lime-loving, nutrient-rich
Laurustinus likes free-draining, humus-rich soil with good nutrient supply. It tolerates lime well and grows reliably in normal garden soils. You should avoid waterlogging, especially in winter, otherwise the roots suffer. In sandy soils, a dose of compost when planting helps to hold moisture and nutrients better.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Mar, May
One dose of mature compost in early spring is usually enough for the whole season. If you like, add horn shavings in May for a gentle supply of nitrogen. Freshly planted specimens also welcome a mulch layer of leaf mould, which feeds the soil evenly. From late summer you omit further feeding so that the wood can still ripen before winter.
Pruning
After flowering in spring you can cut out shoots that are too dense or in the way, to keep the shape loose and the crown airy. A radical pruning is rarely necessary; the shrub grows quite compact by nature. While you are at it, also remove dead or frost-killed twigs so that the plant can put its energy into fresh growth.
Overwintering
Laurustinus is evergreen and usually quite hardy in mild sites, but in harsh winters or in young plants it welcomes protection. Horticultural fleece around the leaves and a mulch layer over the roots help in severe frost and dry, cold easterly winds. On sunny winter days, frost drought can affect the leaves; a shady winter position or a cover of brushwood prevents this. It is best to overwinter container plants bright and frost-free at a few degrees above zero.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- Layering
Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer from this year's slightly woody shoots and insert them in free-draining seed compost. In a bright, sheltered place they form roots in a few weeks. Layering also works well as an alternative: lightly score a lower branch, cover it with soil and weigh it down until it has formed roots of its own. Patience pays off, because laurustinus roots reliably, if not particularly fast.
For your garden
Grow Laurustinus yourself
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