Laurestine, a cute small shrub

Laurestine is a very beautiful shrub, the appeal of its flowers on par with that of its leaves.

A List of Laurestine facts

Name – Viburnum tinus
Family – Adoxaceae (formerly Caprifoliaceae)
Type – shrub, bay

Height – 6 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters)
Exposure – full sun to shade
Soil – rich enough

Foliage – evergreen
Flowering – November to March

Planting, pruning and care enhance growth and blooming.

Planting laurestine

Laurestine is extremely adaptable to most types of soil and locations.

You may plant it indifferently either in spring or fall.

• Laurestine loves sun-bathed and shaded places.
• It is a shrub that is well suited to growing in a pot.
• To enhance its first spring growth, follow our advice on planting.

Propagating laurestine

Making cuttings is the easiest and fastest method to propagate your laurestine.

• Collect the cuttings at the end of summer on flowerless stems and only partly hardened wood (neither newest nor oldest growth).
• Remove lower leaves, leaving only the topmost pair of leaves.
• If possible, dip the tip of the cuttings in powdered rooting agents.
• Push down the cuttings in special cutting soil mix.
• Keep the cuttings near light, but not in direct sunlight.
• Keep the substrate a little moist.
• Transplant in the following spring.

It is also possible to propagate laurestine through layering.

Pruning and caring for laurestine

Laurestine is an easy shrub to care for, especially when well settled in.

Pruning laurestine

The pruning of laurestine isn’t mandatory because you can let it grow as it wishes. However, it can be useful when planted as part of a hedge, in a pot, or when you wish to reduce its stature.

• If you wish to reshape the branches of the shrub, wait for the blooming to end or you might risk interrupting fruit formation.
• Pruning every 2 or 3 years helps make the leafage denser, to renew the vigor of your laurestine, and thus enhance the blooming.
• Refer to our guidelines on pruning shrubs.

Watering Laurestine

The 1^st year after planting is when the laurestine most needs water, so the watering needs to be more regular.

Once well settled in, it doesn’t require any dedicated watering.

For laurestine in pots or garden boxes, watering is needed as soon as the surface soil is dry.

Laurestine diseases

Virtually invulnerable to most parasites and diseases, laurestine is particularly hardy.

Learn more about laurestine

Laurestine is a small evergreen shrub which has a remarkable winter blooming.

Its small white flowers will shine light on your garden all through this cold season.

The flowers turn whiter as they age, while magnificent dark pink berries appear to decorate the evergreen leafage in fall.

Easy to care for, it adapts equally well to growing in a flower bed or in a pot on a terrace or balcony.

Hardy to the cold and freezing, it can cope with temperatures dropping down to 5°F (-15°C).

Unlike other laurel shrubs, neither its berries nor its leaves are harvested, since they are inedible and can even be poisonous. Let the birds pick on them at will, they will love it!

Smart tip about laurestine

If you live in an area where the climate is very harsh in winter, choose a very sunny spot sheltered from wind.