When to plant and prune Viburnum (Winter-flowering)
Viburnum (Winter-flowering) flowers from late October to early April and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Viburnum (Winter-flowering) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early October to late November | late October to early April | late March to mid April |
| South Coast and Channel | early October to late November | late October to early April | late March to mid April |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early October to late November | late October to early April | late March to mid April |
| South East and Home Counties | early October to late November | late October to early April | late March to mid April |
| East Anglia | early October to late November | late October to early April | late March to mid April |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early October to late November | late October to early April | late March to mid April |
| Wales and West Coast | early October to late November | late October to early April | late March to mid April |
| Northern England | early October to late November | late October to early April | late March to mid April |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early October to late November | late October to early April | late March to mid April |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early October to late November | late October to early April | late March to mid April |
| Northern Ireland | early October to late November | late October to early April | late March to mid April |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early October to late November | late October to early April | late March to mid April |
Growing notes
Clusters of pink, strongly scented flowers on bare stems from late autumn through to early spring, opening in mild spells and shrugging off frost. Site it beside a path or door where the scent is noticed in winter. Upright and rather gaunt in summer, so plant something in front of it.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 200 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 300 cm
- Eventual spread
- 200 cm
- Hardiness
- H6
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- No
- Balcony rating
- 1 out of 5
Pruning: what to avoid
The flowers are carried on wood made the previous year, so prune only immediately after the winter display finishes in spring. A summer or autumn tidy-up removes the coming winter's flowers.
Pruning group
Prune annually after flowering, removing up to a third of the old wood at the base to keep young flowering stems coming
What usually goes wrong
- viburnum beetle
- honey fungus
- fungal leaf spot
- gaunt bare base if never pruned
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for viburnum (winter-flowering).