Herb: Laurustinus


Latin name: Viburnum tinus


Family: Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family)



Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
3.5 m
(11 feet)

Flowering:
December
to February


Scent:
Scented
Shrub

Habitat of Laurustinus:

Found in the more luxuriant type of macchia vegetation and as undergrowth in woods, usually near the sea.

Other uses of the herb:

A fast growing informal hedge but it can be damaged in the most exposed positions.

Propagation of Laurustinus:

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Germination can be slow, sometimes taking more than 18 months. If the seed is harvested "green" (when it has fully developed but before it has fully ripened) and sown immediately in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring. Stored seed will require 2 months warm then 3 months cold stratification and can still take 18 months to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame or greenhouse. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of soft-wood, early summer in a frame. Pot up into individual pots once they start to root and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8 cm long with a heel if possible, July/August in a frame. Plant them into individual pots as soon as they start to root. These cuttings can be difficult to overwinter, it is best to keep them in a greenhouse or cold frame until the following spring before planting them out. Cuttings of mature wood, winter in a frame. They should root in early spring - pot them up when large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer if sufficient new growth is made, otherwise keep them in a cold frame for the next winter and then plant them out in the spring. Layering of current seasons growth in July/August. Takes 15 months.

Cultivation of the herb:

Found in the more luxuriant type of macchia vegetation and as undergrowth in woods, usually near the sea.

Medicinal use of Laurustinus:

None known

Known hazards of Viburnum tinus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.