Viburnum bodnantense Dawn

Dawn was the first and best known selection from the bodnantense group, raised at Bodnant Garden in North Wales by head gardener Charles Puddle in the 1930s. It came from crossing two winter-flowering Asian viburnums, and its rose pink buds opening to blush white set the standard the whole group is judged against.

The shrub is deciduous, holding its scented clusters on naked stems before the leaves return, with small fruits that turn from red to black later on. Site it clear of the harshest frost pockets, since a sharp freeze can brown the open blooms, and keep pruning to a light tidy after flowering.