Viburnum tinus Lisarose - Laurustinus

Viburnum tinus 'Lisarose', also known as Laurustinus, is a recent cultivar. Despite its modest appearance, it provides a delightful flowering display of pinkish flower buds opening into light pink flowers, grouped in rounded terminal inflorescences. Its evergreen, dark and glossy foliage provides a beautiful setting for its winter flowering, which is particularly welcome when the whole garden is at rest. It is also a robust plant, easy to grow, tolerating poor and dry soils and the competition of old tree roots. It is essential in free hedges, majestic in the background of flower beds, and stunning in large pots where birds flock. It responds well to pruning, allowing its growth to be shaped according to its intended use.

Viburnum tinus 'Lisarose' belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family, which includes numerous species of Viburnums. It is a recent variety of Viburnum tinus, native to the Mediterranean basin. It is an evergreen shrub, with a dense and branched habit. At maturity, it will reach a height of 2 m (6.6 ft) and a width of 1.50 m (4.9 ft) if not pruned. Its foliage is dark and glossy, with a lighter matte appearance on the underside. The leaves are entire, ovate, pointed, and measure 5 to 10 cm (3.9 in) in length. The spring growth shoots are purplish, giving the plant a soft appearance. Flowering is a slow but steady process: pinkish buds, like cushions of pearls, appear grouped in flattened and rounded cymes among the foliage from October onwards, and if the winter is mild, they open gradually until February-March, heralding spring. Flowers are followed by the formation of clusters of small blue fruits that turn black when ripe, which birds delight in. This shrub has one small flaw, which is briefly noticeable after rain: its foliage emits an unpleasant odour that, fortunately, is quite short-lived.

Viburnum tinus 'Lisarose' is an excellent understory plant, where it thrives despite the dense shade of trees and the presence of their roots. It tolerates all well-drained to dry soils, naturally integrating into a free or neatly trimmed hedge, and is valuable for its winter flowering. It also makes a beautiful specimen when planted in a large pot on the terrace. It is a shrub well adapted to coastal areas and hot, dry summers: combine it with deciduous Viburnum x bodnantense, early-flowering Japanese kerria, Japanese quinces, and Chinese almonds, Viburnum lantana, and Viburnum davidii.