All you need to know about Hellebores, Japonica, Viburnums and Luculia

by Penny at Plant Barn Motueka,
September 7th 2010

Hellebores, winter or Lenten roses, are well into their winter show. The Helleborus orientalis 'Pukehou' hybrids come in a range of colours from white through pink to dark plummy reds. There are now also available a range of doubles from white through pinks to burgundy and crimson.

There are several other Hellebores from the green of feotidus and lividus to sternii which has light green tinged pink flowers on top of large serrated green leaves. Helleborus White Magic is a New Zealand raised hybrid of H niger but holds its flowers higher and more upright. It doesn't seem to get damaged in the rougher winter weather.

I find to really enjoy the beauty of the flowers, it's best to remove the summers leaves now that the flowers are visible. Then once the flowers have finished the new leaves come up and you remove the flower heads. Hellbores thrive in shady moist spots under trees, especially deciduous ones where they at least get some winter sun.

Chaenomeles japonica or Flowering quinces or japonicas are bursting forth with their bright red, orange and white flowers on bare stems. They also set a few fruit which in the autumn can be picked and used to make liqueur, preserves, marmalade and jelly. The fruit contains more pectin than apples and true quinces and also had more vitamin C than lemons.

These guys are notoriously hardy, coming as they do from the high woodland areas of Japan and China, and survive in the toughest spots around the Tasman district. They like a moderately rich, well-drained soil in full or part sun. There is a huge white bush down by the Motueka golf course that is looking lovely now.

Viburnums especially the scented types are breaking out as well. There is nothing nicer than a Viburnum burkwoodii with its 10cm cluster of white flowers opening from pink buds scenting the garden in early spring. Vib carlesii is similar but doesn't grow as big. It has pure white flowers with a sweet daphne type scent.

Then there is the snowball tree or Viburnum opulus 'Sterile'. This wonderful tall shrub covers itself in globes of pale green maturing to white flowers that fade to a pale pink through spring. It don't produce berries but the snowballs make up for that.

Viburnum plicatum types are lovely as they form several tiers of branches that the flowers appear on in spring. They are mostly white or pink and appear to be snow covered when in full flower.

This group are all very hardy, coping well with sub-zero temperatures and deciduous. They prefer heavy rich free draining soils in sun or part shade.

For something different especially if you have a frost-free spot try a Luculia gratissima. This wonderful shrub has head of pink flowers late winter/spring that are sweetly scented and up to 25cm across. They grow best in full sun with very little frost in a rich deeply-worked, free-draining but moisture retentive soil.

It grows well amongst other shrubs for support and protection from frost and wind. They have long oval olive green leaves to about 20cm. There are two newer pink varieties that have bigger flowers in a larger head, as well as a white form called grandiflora with 7cm long flowers in a 20cm across head, with a beautiful fragrance.

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