Sweet Viburnum: Turning Your Garden Into a Private Oasis

Popularly used to provide privacy through lush screens, hedges, or as a specimen plant in gardens, Sweet Viburnum boasts dense, glossy, and dark green foliage.

It's accompanied by its clusters of fragrant flowers that become quite a spectacle in spring. Once it reaches it mature height, this plant grows up to 3-6 metres in height and 4.5-6 metres in width, which is why it makes for an excellent hedging plant.

Sweet Viburnum are also fruit-bearing plants, specifically producing red berries that turn black once they reach maturity. The leaves are characterised by their broad, leathery, and lush foliage.

The plant is popular in many Australian gardens not only because they amazing screening plants, but also because they're highly adaptable and thrives in Australia's warm to temperate climates.

How to Plant Viburnum Odoratissimum?

Viburnum Odoratissimum or the Sweet Viburnum thrives in most Australian climates. Still, following essential recommendations can optimise growth, allowing gardeners to enjoy its lush foliage and vibrant flowers.

Check out these planting tips below:

• The best time to plant Sweet Viburnum is in autumn or spring when temperatures are moderate.
• It thrives in full sun but part shade also works. For optimal growth, ensure your plant get least 4-6 hours of sunlight daily.
• The plant thrives in well-draining, loamy soils rich in organic matter. If the soil is heavy or clay-based, consider improving it by mixing in compost or organic mulch.
• Water deeply after planting to establish the soil around the roots. There's no need for regular watering once the roots have settled.

How to Care for Viburnum Odoratissimum?

The Sweet Viburnum plant doesn't require heavy attention once established. But, to make sure your plant retains its lush and vigour, the following care steps below can make a huge difference:

• Regular watering during the establishment phase (the first year after planting) is crucial, but once settled, this plant is moderately drought-tolerant, meaning, you don't need to water as much except for periods of dry spells.
• Applying mulch should be done around the base of the plant as this helps preserve moisture and suppress weeds.
• Viburnums are hardy plants so using a fertiliser isn't required on a regular basis. It can still however benefit from the occasional application, ideally in early spring using a slow-release, balanced fertiliser.
• Prune after flowering to shape the hedge or remove dead or damaged branches. Overall, regular pruning will help the plant maintain shape.

Why Should You Buy Viburnum Odoratissimum?

The Sweet Viburnum plant is not only a striking addition to any garden, it also offers benefits that can make gardening easier and more practical. Here are more reasons to add this plant into your garden:

• Privacy Screening: Its dense foliage makes it excellent for hedging or screening and if you value your privacy from neighbours or street views, you ought to have this plant.
• Appealing Scent: As mentioned, earlier, this plant not only offer abundant foliage, but it also delivers tiny white flowers that are breathtaking sight and scent-wise.
• Wildlife Friendly: The berries attract birds, making it ideal for wildlife-friendly gardens.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, it requires minimal care beyond occasional pruning and watering.

Things to Consider When Growing Sweet Viburnum

The Sweet Viburnum can grow quite large so ensure you have sufficient space to grow this plant. if you're using this plant for hedging, you should space plants 1-1.5 metres apart.

When growing this evergreen shrub, it's more beneficial for the plant to receive lots of sunlight. It can tolerate partial shade, but full sun is still better. In terms of choosing the right soil, Sweet Viburnum prefers well-draining soil and not delivering on this requirement can result in root rot.

Lastly, while other plants don't require regular pruning, the Sweet Viburnum plant needs such maintenance in order to maintain its shape and clean look. But if you're thinking of breaking away its formal hedge expectations, you can opt to let it grow naturally to achieve that informal vibe.

Treating Sweet Viburnum for Pests and Diseases

Viburnum Odoratissimum or the Sweet Viburnum plant is usually troubled by common plant insects, including aphids and scale insects. Luckily, you can easily treat infestations using insecticidal soap. A horticultural oil spray can also help deal with scale insects problems.

Then there's root rot, a common disease among plants manifesting via signs that include yellowing or soft stems. The solution for root rot is simple: avoid overwatering or ensure you're planting in a well-draining soil. You can also consider repotting in dry soil.

Fungal diseases like powdery mildew or leaf spot can occasionally affect viburnums as well. To remedy this, prune infected parts and apply a fungicide but only if necessary.

Where Can I Buy Viburnum Odoratissimum?

This plant is available at the Local Botanist, where you can have it delivered right to your doorstep. Ready to add this screening plant into your collection? Check out our shipping section for more details.

We also offer more gardening tips to help you achieve your dream garden. Better yet, take our Garden Quiz to find out which gardening style is best for your space.

Companion Plants for Sweet Viburnum

Adding screening plants like Sweet Viburnum when designing a garden is an ideal choice for those who need privacy screens for their gardens. It also helps a lot that this plant offers a lush, gorgeous foliage and charming flowers in spring, making it suitable for all types of gardens.

If that's exactly the plan, then you need other garden highlights to grow alongside it. Here are some great plants to consider:

• French Lavender: The purple blooms of lavender offer a soft contrast with the deep green hues of the Viburnum hedge. Plus, lavender is also known for its pests-repellant feature.
• White Agapanthus: This perennial’s white flowers add seasonal colour to the garden and complement the green backdrop of Sweet Viburnum, perfect if you're thinking of designing a formal garden, or even a modern-themed one.
• Mat Rush: For more texture and resilience to your landscape, incorporating drought-tolerant grasses like Mat Rush can do the job.
• Temple Bells: The flowering shrubs offer colourful blooms and pair well with Viburnum in formal, modern, or cottage garden designs.