How can I help my poorly viburnum?
Pat Stevens, Gravesend, Kent
Stefan says: Your plant is a fine evergreen variety of Viburnum tinus called ‘Lisarose’. It’s normally fairly trouble-free but yours is clearly not and it appears to be under severe stress. From your close-up photograph, other plants appear to be climbing up it and I hope I’m not misreading the situation by saying the whole body of the shrub seems overcrowded.
Much of the foliage is bleached and gives the indication of being short of nutrients. My guess is that because of this, it has been attacked by insect pests that have deposited honeydew, caused dark sooty moulds to grow and it looks as if there may also be an attack by one of the various fungal leaf spots that affects viburnums. My advice is to prune it to sort out the congestion, give regular liquid feed and see what happens.