Laurustinus

Laurustinus is the evergreen viburnum that flowers in winter, producing flat-topped clusters of white flowers from pink buds from November through April in Western Washington. The dark, glossy, evergreen foliage is dense and handsome year-round, and the metallic-blue berries that follow the flowers persist into fall. It grows six to twelve feet with a dense, rounded form that works as a hedge, screen, or specimen. Native to the Mediterranean region.

In Western Washington, laurustinus thrives in sun to part shade and tolerates the range of soils common to residential sites. The winter bloom is the primary value, very few evergreen shrubs flower during the darkest months. It is borderline hardy in the coldest inland locations; sustained single-digit temperatures can damage foliage and kill stems. In the mildest Puget Sound locations, it is reliably evergreen and flowers heavily. Several diseases are tracked, including powdery mildew. For an evergreen screening shrub with winter flowers and year-round structure, laurustinus is one of the most valuable broadleaf evergreens for mild maritime gardens.