Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn'
Dawn Viburnum
- Family
- Adoxaceae
- Height
- 8 to 10 feet
- Width
- 4 to 6 feet
- Flower color
- Fragrant pink, fading to white
- Foliage color
- Bronze-tinged in spring, maturing to deep green; turns burgundy-red in fall
- Bloom time
- Late winter to early spring
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Medium
- Maintenance
- Low, but site in a protected location to prevent frost damage to flowers
- Growing zone
- USDA Zones 5 to 8
- Wildlife
- Bees and other pollinators
About this plant
Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn' is a deciduous hybrid shrub renowned for its long-lasting floral display. It combines the best traits of its parents, including frost resistance and abundant flowering. Its blooms begin in late autumn, persist through winter, and extend into early spring, opening as fragrant clusters of rose-pink buds that mature to blush white flowers on bare stems.
This shrub is particularly valued for its vibrant winter presence, offering clusters of sweetly scented flowers during the colder months when few other plants bloom. After flowering, it may develop ornamental red berries that transition to black, accompanied by dark green ovate foliage as the seasons progress. 'Dawn' has earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit for its reliability and ornamental appeal.
Companion plants
Holly · Daisy bush · Tulips · Pineapple lily · Salvias · Rose campion
Design tip
Bring ‘Dawn’ near winter pathways or frequently viewed windows, where its flowers can be enjoyed when the garden is otherwise quiet. Rose-pink buds opening along bare branches create welcome winter color, while their fragrance adds another dimension at close range.
