Quick Guide: winter, hardy, full sun, height: 2.4m/8ft, width: 1.8m/6ft

There are some 200 species of viburnum, most of them hardy, some evergreen. One of the best evergreens is V. tinus or laurustinus, which bears its flat heads of white flowers from late autumn through to the end of spring.

GROWING Plant in the autumn or spring on fertile, moisture-retentive soil, in a position sheltered from cold winds. Do not site the plants where early morning sun after frosts could damage young growths. Prune in late spring, simply removing old and damaged branches.

PROPAGATION Take 7.5cm/3in cuttings of lateral shoots with a heel in early summer. Place in a peat/sand mixture in a propagator at 16°C/61°F. Pot up individually when rooted and set in a cold frame. Keep in the frame over winter. Transfer to nursery rows in the spring and grow on for 2-3 years before planting in the permanent site.

VARIETIES `Variegatum': leaves splashed with gold; `French White', pure white flowers; `Eve Price', dense shrub with pink flowers.

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS White flies frost damage leading to grey mould.