PLANT of the week

Viburnum davidii

There aren’t many compact evergreen shrubs whose peak season of interest is in winter, but Viburnum davidii fits the bill perfectly. A neat dome-shaped plant, its shiny, dark-green, leathery looking oval leaves are patterned with deep parallel veins.

In late autumn and winter the tip of each stem is crowned with a generous cluster of bright turquoise berries, which stand out brilliantly against the background of foliage. It’s easily grown in the garden too – give it fertile, reasonably well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter, and it’s happy in sun or light shade.