Sweet Viburnum Viburnum odoratissimum Emerald Lustre (Viburnum awabuki)

Emerald Lustre is a named selection of Viburnum odoratissimum, propagated from cuttings so every plant in a run behaves the same way. That uniformity is why it dominates specified hedge work: big glossy leaves, bronze red new flushes, dense growth from a young age, and one leaf colour and one growth rate along the entire line. It is often labelled Viburnum awabuki. Scented white flower heads open in spring on plants that are not clipped hard, and left to itself it will make a small tree.

Spacing, light and the thrips that ruin these hedges

It grows fast in full sun to part shade across most of the country, wants soil with compost through it and regular water while it establishes, and holds up well once its roots are down. Space plants around a metre apart for a screen and expect two or three trims a year to keep it tight. In deep shade, or where it is underfed, it goes leggy and bare at the base, and no amount of clipping the top will fix that.

Viburnum thrips is the pest that ruins these hedges, so check the new growth before anything else. Young leaves silver, cup and harden, the damage stays on the plant until those leaves are cut off, and a heavy infestation moves along a run quickly. It is far easier to stay ahead of from planting day than to fix once the hedge is above head height and out of reach. Inspect new flushes through spring and early summer, keep water up so the plant can push past a knock, and treat early rather than waiting for the whole face to go dull. Two spotted mite turns up in hot dry positions as well.

Uniformity, and how it compares with tinus

Against the straight Sweet Viburnum, the case for Emerald Lustre is consistency: seedling raised stock varies in leaf size and vigour, which shows as an uneven line in a long formal hedge and matters far less in an informal screen. Against Laurustinus, the difference is scale and climate. Tinus has small leaves, flowers in winter and suits cool southern gardens; Emerald Lustre has leaves the size of your hand, screens far higher, and copes with humid subtropical summers that tinus resents. For a hedge held lower and tighter than either, Sandankwa Viburnum is the smaller leaved option. More in hedges.

Trimming a tall screen and feeding the base

Trim two or three times through the growing season, the first cut in late spring after any flowering and the last by early autumn so new growth hardens before winter. Bring the sides in as well as the top, tapering them slightly wider at the base to keep the lower growth in light. Feed in early spring and again in midsummer with a complete slow release fertiliser, water it in, and mulch afterwards; underfeeding is the usual reason a screen thins out at the bottom.

Choosing a size

This plant is available in 6 sizes, from 140mm up to 400mm, priced from $16.95 to $209.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. The smaller pots hold younger plants that cost less each and establish quickly, which suits hedges, screens and mass planting where the plant count adds up. The larger sizes carry several more years of growth on the farm and give height and presence straight away, which is what you want for a single feature position or a screen that cannot wait. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to fast growing screening plants.