Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Viburnum x bodnantense 'Pink Dawn'
Pink Dawn Viburnum
- Family
- Adoxaceae
- Height
- 6 to 10 feet
- Width
- 6 to 10 feet
- Flower color
- Pink
- Foliage color
- Dark green, turning red and purple in autumn
- Bloom time
- Winter to early spring
- Light
- Prefers full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low, but site in a protected location to prevent frost damage to flowers
- Growing zone
- 5 to 9
- Wildlife
- The fragrant flowers attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies, and the berries that follow may attract birds
About this plant
Viburnum x bodnantense 'Pink Dawn' produces intensely fragrant clusters of rosy pink flowers from deep rose-colored buds, blooming on bare branches from late fall through winter and into early spring. Deeply veined, narrow oval leaves emerge with bronze tones in spring before maturing to rich green, then develop reddish-purple shades in autumn. Its upright, open branching gives the shrub an airy framework, while occasional red fruits may follow the flowers and eventually ripen to black.
Raised from a hybrid between the Asian species Viburnum farreri and Viburnum grandiflorum, this Bodnant viburnum traces its garden origin to crosses made at Bodnant Garden in North Wales during the 1930s. Its winter fragrance and bare-stemmed flowers make it especially effective in winter gardens, mixed shrub borders, foundation plantings, and near pathways or entrances.
Companion plants
Avens · Strawberry tree · Betony · Blue grama grass · Thyme · Butterfly bush
Design tip
Make ‘Pink Dawn’ a winter destination by growing it along a route used throughout the colder months. Fragrant pink flowers stand out clearly on bare branches, rewarding close viewing while bringing color and scent to a season dominated by evergreen foliage.
