Botanical Name: Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki
Synonym: Viburnum odoratissimum var. sinense
Common Names: Sweet Viburnum, Sweet Viburnum Sinensis, Chindo-type Viburnum, Evergreen Viburnum
📌 Product Description
Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki is a vigorous evergreen shrub or small tree valued for its lush glossy foliage, dense growth habit, and excellent screening ability. Its broad leathery green leaves create a rich tropical-looking effect, making it an ideal choice for hedges, privacy screens, boundary planting, and large mixed shrub borders.
This versatile plant is widely used in South African gardens for formal and informal hedging because it grows quickly, responds well to pruning, and provides year-round structure. In spring, clusters of small creamy-white flowers may appear, adding seasonal interest, sometimes followed by red to black berries. Its strong leafy growth makes it especially useful where a hardy, attractive evergreen backdrop is needed.
Fast growing, dependable, and easy to maintain, Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki is an excellent choice for gardeners wanting a lush evergreen shrub with strong screening and landscape value.
📏 Size When Fully Grown
Height: 3–5 m, sometimes taller if left unpruned
Spread: 2–4 m
Growth Habit: Dense, upright evergreen shrub or small tree
Growth Rate: Fast
🌱 Best Growing Conditions
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Well-draining, fertile soil enriched with compost
Water:
• Water regularly during establishment
• Moderately drought tolerant once established
• Benefits from deep watering during prolonged dry periods
• Avoid permanently waterlogged soil
Feeding: Apply compost or a balanced fertiliser in spring and summer to encourage lush foliage and vigorous growth.
Maintenance:
• Trim regularly for hedging or shaping
• Can be left natural as a large screening shrub
• Remove weak or crowded growth as needed
• Low maintenance once established
🌦️ Planting & Growing Season (South Africa)
Best Planting Time: Spring to early autumn
Active Growth: Spring and summer
Flowering Time: Spring
Climate Suitability: Suitable for most warm, temperate, and coastal South African regions
Frost Tolerance: Tolerates light frost once established
Wind Tolerance: Good in sheltered to moderately exposed positions
🌼 Additional Benefits
• Dense glossy evergreen foliage
• Excellent screening and privacy plant
• Fast-growing and easy to shape
• Suitable for formal and informal hedges
• Attractive year-round structure
🌿 Ideal Uses
✔ Hedges and privacy screens
✔ Boundary planting
✔ Mixed shrub borders
✔ Feature evergreen backdrop
✔ Formal and subtropical garden designs




