Viburnum Burkwoodii x Burkwoodii

During the early 20th century, Albert Burkwood created the Viburnum x burkwoodii cultivar by crossing the Korean Spice viburnum with the Service Viburnum. There are over 150 shrubs classified within the viburnum family of plants. However, the Viburnum x burkwoodii stands out from the rest because of the outstanding fragrance of its abundant flowers.

The Viburnum x burkwoodii, commonly called the Burkwood Viburnum, grows to a height of up to 2 meters. A semi-evergreen, this Viburnum hybrid provides visual interest year round. In mid-April, soft pink pastel rounded flower bud clusters appear at the ends of the stems. The buds open up to reveal globes of glossy pinkish-white flowers that many people think resemble large snowballs. The flowers produce an intoxicatingly sweet fragrance throughout the garden. They attract a wide assortment of butterflies and bees.

As the flowers fade, they turn to bright red berries that are often hard to distinguish amidst the shrub’s dark green glossy foliage. In mid to late summer, the berries turn black. Songbirds often forage on the shrub’s berries.

The foliage of the Viburnum x Burkwoodii is a dark green hue on the top side and the underside of the leaves are a lighter fuzzy green. Each leaf is oval in shape. It grows as an evergreen in moderate climates and a deciduous shrub in areas with cold winters.

Burkwood Viburnum’s bark is a greyish colour and displays deep fissures as the shrub matures. It grows in an upright fashion and makes an ideal hedge or privacy screen. It can also be grown as a garden focal specimen. 

Plant the Viburnum x burkwoodii in full sunlight for best growth. It requires a planting location that is well-draining with slightly acidic soil to flourish. The bush is exceptionally hardy once established and withstands urban pollution well. For optimum growth, water deeply once per week.

The Viburnum x burkwoodii is an ideal cottage garden shrub. Plant it close a home or walkway where everyone that passes by can enjoy the shrub’s heavenly springtime fragrance.