Sweet viburnum arrives from Asia with ambitions. Left unchecked, it climbs to 20 feet and spreads just as wide, its large, leathery, dark green leaves forming a glossy canopy that earns its keep in larger landscapes. The reward for giving it that room arrives in spring, when the plant covers itself so thoroughly in small white flowers that the foliage almost disappears beneath them, and the scent is extraordinary. In zones 7 through 9, it holds its leaves year-round; at the northern edge of its range, it may drop them in cold winters.

This is not a shrub for tight spaces or compulsive pruners. Over-pruning produces a leggy, ungainly plant that never quite recovers its form. The right approach is to site it where it can build its natural rounded crown, in moist, well-drained soil with full sun and a measure of afternoon shade in hot climates. Use it as a large screen, a property boundary anchor, or a fragrant focal point at the back of a generous border. Once established, it handles drought reasonably well.