Description from Far Reaches Farm
This is a fine winter-blooming deciduous Viburnum named after Charles Lamont of Edinburgh Botanic Gardens who made the first cross using the parents Viburnum grandiflorum and V. farreri. Charles didn't cherish the seedlings and chucked them which may be where we got the verb “chuck” as in “to chuck” because of his nickname Chuck when down at the pub. I love fanciful etymologies. Bodnant Gardens soon duplicated the cross and named some seedlings including the extremely popular pink flowered 'Dawn' and one white flowered selection which was named in honor of Charles Lamont. It is light pink in bud and then ages white and the scented flowers can be seen in November through to March or April depending on your climate. There are a lot of bogus Charles Lamont being offered by very reputable nurseries which are pink. These are wrong. Charles Lamont is white, pinkish in bud. Ours came from a very uppity and serious English nursery in the mid 80's with the grave pronouncement that this was the genuine Charles Lamont. Being younger and a simple colonist, I'm sure I replied with an enthusiatic “Dude! This is righteous!” I remember not being shown any other special plants that resided behind the rope. These are small but very sturdy plants which will take off for you.
- Family: Adoxaceae
- Hardiness: To Zone 5b
- Mature Size: 8'-12'
- Exposure: Sun to shade
- Bloom Time: Nov-Apr
- Moisture Needs: moist
- Deer Resistant: No
- Origin: Welsh Hybrid
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