Viburnum davidii - David viburnum

The Viburnum davidii is a bush that remains small with a bushy habit. Its beautiful evergreen dark green glossy leaves are perfectly highlighted by the red hues of the petioles. The flowering is of limited decorative interest and the flowers are weakly scented, but they are followed by very ornamental and long-lasting fruits. These are small, blue and shiny oval berries in clusters on red peduncles, creating a lovely colour effect for your shade beds.

Originating from China, the David viburnum is a dwarf bush that will not exceed 1m (3.3ft) in height, but it can spread in width depending on the space you allocate to it. The June flowering consists of abundant flattened clusters of white flowers measuring 5 to 7cm (1.9 to 2.7in) in diameter at the end of the branches. The subsequent fruiting is quite unique and continues until October. The small steel blue fruits are not edible. Its leaves are ovate and evergreen, measuring 10 to 15cm (3.9 to 5.9in) long, with the surface striated by three central veins. The bark of this bush is yellowish-grey.

The hardiness of Viburnum davidii is not strong (-15°C (5°F) maximum). It thrives in partial shade, although it tolerates the sun, and it also prefers acidic soils like camellias and rhododendrons, for example. You need to plant several bushes to have fruiting. Use it in beds, as its beautiful foliage enhances the accompanying flowers.