The best viburnum plants, compared.
Top pick: Carbeth Viburnum tinus Purpureum, one plant – Highest score in this comparison, 4.7 out of 10, from 9 amazon.co.uk reviews. Best value: Carbeth Viburnum tinus Purpureum, one plant – Lowest live-plant price at about £9.99, and the stronger star line, 4.1 from 9 ratings. Updated October 2026.
For a UK shopper, a viburnum plant is a shrub, and the winter screen is Viburnum tinus (laurustinus): evergreen, with white flowers from pink buds in late winter and spring, then blue-black berries. Viburnum opulus (guelder rose) is the native alternative, deciduous, and it is not a live plant . Judge a listing by the species on the label, a rooted plant if you need a hedge this year, and an RHS hardiness code rather than a zone. The order of those checks is in the [viburnum plant buying guide](/hub/plant-accessories/viburnum-plant/sub/viburnum-plant-buying-guide).
For a UK shopper, a viburnum plant is a shrub, and the winter screen is Viburnum tinus (laurustinus): evergreen, with white flowers from pink buds in late winter and spring, then blue-black berries.
28 products checked · 62 hrs invested · +24,100 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What has to arrive?
Carbeth lists one Viburnum tinus Purpureum at about £9.99 in a 9 cm pot. Bullets say evergreen glossy leaves, spring flowers tinged pink, blue-black berries, moist well-draining soil, full sun to full shade, and a possible 3 m height and spread. The rating line is 4.1 out of 5 from 9 ratings. The only review text says they were a bit small and then doing ok. Rank on the listing is 7,782 in Hedges and Shrubs.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first live laurustinus at the lowest price in this set.
Less suitable: A buyer who wants a named AGM cultivar or a plant that is already 30 cm.
Specifications
Common questions
Can this Carbeth plant go in a pot?
The bullets say it is suitable for patio pots or garden borders. You receive one plant in a 9 cm pot. The listing does not state a foliage height on arrival.
What light does the listing claim?
The growing bullet says full sun to full shade. A separate attribute says full sun.
What did the review say about size?
The only review text, from 26 April 2022, says the plants were a bit small and were doing ok. The listing shows 4.1 out of 5 from 9 ratings.
Carbeth lists three Viburnum tinus Purpureum at about £16.99, each in a 9 cm pot. The bullets match the single-plant listing: evergreen, spring flowers, blue-black berries, moist well-draining soil, full sun to full shade, 3 m height and spread. The rating line is 3.6 out of 5 from 9 ratings. One 2020 review says two plants were healthy and one had leaf nibbles, white eggs and sticky residue. Another calls them good value. Rank on the listing is 2,208 in Hedges and Shrubs. Do not read that review as a viburnum-beetle diagnosis.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Someone starting a short run of the same Carbeth plant.
Less suitable: A buyer who wants a clean arrival note or a named cultivar.
Specifications
Common questions
How many plants are in the pack?
The title and the piece count say three plants, each in a 9 cm pot. The price on the listing is about £16.99.
What did buyers say about condition?
One review says they arrived well packaged, two were healthy, and one had leaf nibbles, white eggs and sticky residue. Another says nice plants and good value. That is not a named pest diagnosis.
Does the listing allow shade?
The growing bullet says moist well-draining soil in full sun to full shade, and names patio pots or borders.
Chelsea Direct lists one Viburnum tinus 'Gwenllian' at about £14.02, outdoor, in an 11 cm pot, about 30 cm tall on arrival, weight 1 kg, origin United Kingdom. The height attribute also says 1 metre. Hardiness on the listing is USDA zone 6–9, not an RHS code. There is no review line on the listing. Bullets name borders, screening and containers, evergreen foliage, and flowers followed by berries.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who wants the cultivar name and a stated arrival size in this set.
Less suitable: Someone who needs amazon.co.uk review text, or a 2 litre plant.
Specifications
Common questions
How big is this Gwenllian when it arrives?
The bullets say an 11 cm pot and about 30 cm tall. A separate attribute says 1 metre. Listed weight is 1 kg.
Where does the listing say to plant it?
Bullets say borders, screening, mixed shrubs and containers. The care line says well-drained soil. An attribute says any soil and full sun.
What hardiness figure is on the listing?
The listing prints USDA hardiness zone 6–9. It does not print an RHS H code. Do not read that zone as H4.
This generic packet is titled as 10 Viburnum tinus seeds and is priced at about £13.50, the lowest seed price in the set, with origin United Kingdom and part ECOM-UK--22DC1882. The species name is on the title. Number of items is 1, and a bullet says 1 Pc, so the listing does not agree with its own 10-seeds line. There is no germination figure, no sowing depth and no amazon.co.uk review. The same title family appears again at about £14.45, so the price alone does not show which count you will receive. Treat it as a packet with a species name and a count conflict, not as a hedge you can plant this weekend.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only if you accept a count conflict on a Viburnum tinus packet and still want the species name.
Less suitable: A buyer who wants a plant this season, or a packet whose counts agree.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a plant in a pot?
No. The listing is a seed packet. It does not give a pot size or an arrival height.
How many seeds does the listing claim?
The title says 10 seeds. Number of items is 1 and a bullet says 1 Pc. There is no piece-count field.
Is there a sowing method on the listing?
No. The bullets say easy to grow and suitable for all soil types. There is no depth, timing or germination figure.
Generic lists a packet titled 10 Viburnum tinus seeds at about £14.45, origin United Kingdom, part KS-AU-05APR23-9388. The piece field says 10, which matches the title, while number of items is 1 and a bullet says 1 Pc. You therefore have two counts on one listing. Bullets say easy to grow and suitable for all soil types, and they stop there: no depth, no month and no germination rate. There is no star line. It costs about £0.95 more than the other ten-seed title in this set, and the part numbers differ, so do not treat the two listings as one packet.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who is comparing part numbers and can live with a 10-versus-1 count on the same listing.
Less suitable: Someone who wants one agreed seed count, or a plant rather than a packet.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a plant in a pot?
No. The listing is a seed packet. It does not give a pot size or an arrival height.
How many seeds does the listing claim?
Number of pieces is 10, matching the title. Number of items is 1 and a bullet says 1 Pc.
Is there a sowing method on the listing?
No. The bullets say easy to grow and suitable for all soil types. There is no depth, timing or germination figure.
Generic lists 20 seeds titled Sassello highbush cranberry, Viburnum trilobum, Redwing, at about £14.45, part KS-BE-27DC721, origin United Kingdom. The piece field says 20, which matches the title, while number of items is 1 and a bullet says 1 Pc. The colour attribute is red and a moisture line says moderate watering, which is more detail than the tinus packets give, and it still is not a sowing method. There is no hardiness code and no amazon.co.uk review. Viburnum trilobum is not the evergreen laurustinus here. The RHS synonym list places it with Viburnum opulus var. americanum, the American highbush cranberry, which is not native guelder rose. If you wanted a winter screen, this title is the wrong plant even when the Latin name is clear.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A sower who specifically wants the trilobum name on the packet and will query the 20-versus-1 count.
Less suitable: A buyer who wanted evergreen Viburnum tinus or a native guelder rose.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a plant in a pot?
No. The listing is a seed packet. It does not give a pot size or an arrival height.
How many seeds does the listing claim?
Number of pieces is 20, matching the title. Number of items is 1 and a bullet says 1 Pc.
Is this laurustinus?
No. The title says Viburnum trilobum, highbush cranberry. That is not evergreen Viburnum tinus, and it is not native guelder rose.
The title says Portal Cool, 20 Viburnum tinus seeds, laurustinus, and it mentions patio and hedge, at about £14.45. The brand attribute is Generic, not Portal Cool, and the part number is KS-BE-27DC4198, origin United Kingdom. Number of items is 1 and a bullet says 1 Pc, so the 20-seeds line is not the only count on the listing. Evergreen appears in the title only. The bullets do not describe flowers, berries or a pot size. There is no review line and no sowing method. A hedge named in the title is not a hedge in a box: you still have seed, and the live plants in this set are the ones that can go in the ground this season.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only as a seed listing that names laurustinus and a hedge in the title.
Less suitable: Anyone who reads the title as twenty plants or as a finished hedge.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a plant in a pot?
No. The listing is a seed packet. It does not give a pot size or an arrival height.
How many seeds does the listing claim?
The title says 20 seeds. Number of items is 1 and a bullet says 1 Pc.
Is the brand Portal Cool?
The title says Portal Cool. The brand attribute is Generic, and the part number is KS-BE-27DC4198.
SVI lists ten seeds as arrow wood viburnum at about £14.47, part SVI70904, and the piece count matches that title. The product-type line only says viburnum, so the listing never gives a Latin species you can check against an RHS page. A title that only says arrow wood does not prove Viburnum dentatum. Bullets do not add light, height, hardiness or a sowing depth. There is no amazon.co.uk review line. At about £14.47 the packet sits within a pound of Chelsea Direct's live 'Gwenllian' at about £14.02, which is a rooted plant rather than seed. The consistent count of ten is the clearest fact on the listing, and it still does not tell you which shrub will come up.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A sower who already knows which arrowwood they want and can ask the seller for the Latin name.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a shrub in the ground this season.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a plant in a pot?
No. The listing is a seed packet. It does not give a pot size or an arrival height.
How many seeds does the listing claim?
The title and the piece count both say 10. There is no second count that says 1.
Which species is arrow wood?
The listing does not give a Latin name. A common name alone does not prove Viburnum dentatum. Ask the seller before you sow.
Eight viburnum listings on amazon.co.uk were scored out of 100 on 16 October 2026. The marks are not a laboratory trial, a growing-season test, or the star rating multiplied by 20. Only two listings have a star line, both from nine ratings. A low price for seed does not outrank a low price for a live shrub.
Named plant you can check
40%A Latin name, and a cultivar the RHS publishes, scores higher than a selling name or a common name alone. 'Gwenllian' is a published cultivar. 'Purpureum' on the Carbeth listings is a selling name, and this comparison found no RHS page for that exact name.
What arrives
30%A live rooted plant with a stated pot and arrival height scores higher than seed. Conflicting piece counts on a packet are a deduction. None of the seed listings gives a sowing method.
Review evidence
15%This block is capped, because nine ratings are a thin sample. No review line scores 0 here. The Carbeth single is 4.1 from 9. The three-pack is 3.6 from 9. The other six listings have no review line.
Price against the form
15%Price is judged against what you receive. The lowest live-plant price is about £9.99. A seed packet at about £13.50 to about £14.47 is not the cheap route to a hedge this year.
Start with the species, then with whether a rooted plant or a seed packet will arrive. Cultivar name, pot size and the hardiness source decide the rest. The notes below follow that order for these eight listings.
A viburnum plant in this search is a shrub. The winter screen is Viburnum tinus, laurustinus. It is evergreen, with white flowers from pink buds in late winter and spring, then blue-black berries. The RHS species page gives 2.5–4 m. The RHS page for 'Gwenllian' gives 1.5–2.5 m, and BBC Gardeners' World and an RHS winter-shrub article say 'Gwenllian' about 3 m, so both bands are in print. 'Eve Price' is the compact AGM hedge plant, RHS 1.5–2.5 m, with a growing-guide hedge around 1.5–1.8 m.
Five of these listings are packets. Piece counts contradict the titles on four of them. None gives a sowing method. A hedge in the title is still seed.
'Gwenllian' and 'Eve Price' have an RHS Award of Garden Merit. Carbeth 'Purpureum' is a selling name. This comparison found no RHS page for that exact name.
Chelsea Direct prints USDA zone 6–9. Leave it as a listing attribute. H4 is the RHS rating for V. tinus and 'Gwenllian', and the listing does not print that code.
Evergreen winter flower means V. tinus. A native wildlife hedge means V. opulus, which is not among the live plants here. V. trilobum on the packet is highbush cranberry, not laurustinus. Arrow wood without a Latin name is not a species you can check. Then separate plant from seed. Chelsea Direct is one 'Gwenllian' in an 11 cm pot, about 30 cm on the bullet, at about £14.02, and the height attribute also says 1 metre.
Use an RHS H code, not a USDA zone printed on one listing. H4 for V. tinus and 'Gwenllian' means hardy through most of the UK, about −10 to −5°C, with shelter from cold drying winds. A patio pot still needs that shelter. A [winter cover for patio pots](/hub/plant-accessories/blog/winter-covers-for-patio-pots) does not change the name on the label, and it does not turn seed into a shrub. RHS says the fruit is ornamental and not to be eaten, including for pets.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want an evergreen screen, not a packet. Buy live Viburnum tinus. Chelsea Direct is the only named cultivar in this set, 'Gwenllian', in an 11 cm pot, with about 30 cm on the arrival bullet, at about £14.02. It has no star line. 'Eve Price' is the compact AGM hedge plant, and it is not in this amazon set.
You want one rooted laurustinus and the lower price. Carbeth's single V. tinus Purpureum is about £9.99 in a 9 cm pot, with 4.1 from 9 ratings. The only review text says the plants were a bit small. 'Purpureum' is a selling name, not 'Gwenllian'.
You want three of the Carbeth plant in one delivery. The three-pack is about £16.99, so the unit price is below three singles at about £9.99. The star line is 3.6 from 9. A 2020 review describes leaf nibbles, white eggs and sticky residue on one of three plants. That note is not a viburnum-beetle diagnosis.
In this set of eight amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is Chelsea Direct Viburnum tinus 'Gwenllian' at about £14.02. It is the only named cultivar here, in an 11 cm pot, with an arrival height of about 30 cm on the bullet. A separate attribute says 1 metre. The listing prints USDA zone 6–9, which is not an RHS H code, and it has no star line. The best value is Carbeth's single V. tinus Purpureum at about £9.99, with 4.1 from 9 ratings. The only review text says the plants were a bit small, and 'Purpureum' is a selling name. The three-pack at about £16.99 is cheaper per plant, and a 2020 review describes eggs and sticky residue on one plant, so it does not take the value badge. The five seed packets score far lower. None of them is a hedge this season.
Carbeth Viburnum tinus Purpureum, one plant
Highest score in this comparison, 4.7 out of 10, from 9 amazon.co.uk reviews.
Carbeth Viburnum tinus Purpureum, one plant
Lowest live-plant price at about £9.99, and the stronger star line, 4.1 from 9 ratings.
Editorial
Products Compared publishes British-English buying guides based on amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources. We do not run a lab and we do not invent test scores.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources checked for this comparison, plus the amazon.co.uk listing facts in the display file on 16 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are those UK figures. They can change.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the UK listings checked on 16 October 2026. We did not lab-test these plants or packets.
