Viburnum tinus

Scientific description

Taxon: Viburnum tinus
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Dipsacales
Family: Adoxaceae (formerly Caprifoliaceae)
Common name: Laurustinus, Laurustinus Viburnum

Origin:
Native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and North Africa.

Description:
Evergreen shrub or small tree, 2–4 m tall, with dark green, glossy, leathery leaves. Clusters of small fragrant white to pale pink flowers appear late autumn to early spring, followed by metallic blue-black berries.

Propagation:
By seeds (slow germination), cuttings (semi-hardwood or hardwood in summer/early autumn), or layering.

Ecology:
Attracts bees and butterflies, provides berries for birds, tolerant of soil types, sun to partial shade, drought-tolerant once established, often used in hedgerows and shrub borders.

Uses:
Ornamental, wildlife gardens, hedging and screening.

Threats:
Aphids, viburnum beetle, scale insects, fungal diseases (powdery mildew, leaf spot), extreme cold, may naturalize in some regions.

Creative writing inspired by Viburnum tinus

The unexpected encounter

One fine morning, as I was strolling through the fairy forest near my home, I caught sight of a shade of white and pink in the distance. As I approached, a Laurier Tin by the name of Youssef dazzled me with his imposing 3m height, causing me to tremble so much that I thought I'd turned into an ant. As I chatted with him, I realized that he wasn't so terrifying. On the contrary, it was a dense, easy-to-live-with shrub, and its beauty and vigor made me blush in spite of myself.

As it was still chilly, being winter, I invited him to my place for a cup of hot chocolate. As I walked alongside him, I saw how his dark-green, mysterious evergreen foliage moved in the wind, and the softness of his flowering buds contrasted with his foliage: he was a living work of art, rather like an impressionist painting. After arriving home, he asked me “What's that funny smell?” I replied that it was probably the scent of my roses. Youssef seemed surprised that a plant could give off a specific scent, as he didn't have one, so he approached the flowers to smell them.

Finally, after spending the afternoon together, he went home and I returned to my sofa, having discovered many things about Youssef, such as the fact that he was exposed to the sun and that his flowering month was from January to December.

The days went by and I couldn't stop thinking about him, if only he could be near me, I'd never have had love at first sight like this… A week after that meeting, I heard someone knocking on my door, and when I opened it, to my surprise it was Youssef the Laurier Tin. I was so happy to see him again that I took him straight into my arms and we stayed like that for a long time.

After chatting for a long time, he told me he'd come to tell me something. A little surprised, I asked him what he had to tell me, and with a big smile he told me he'd decided to move in with me so we could see each other every day, because he was ready to do anything for me and had never loved anyone like that. Since that day, I've never felt alone again, because the Laurier Tin symbolizes loyalty and protection.

La rencontre inattendue

Un beau matin, tandis que je me baladais dans la forêt des fées près de chez moi, j’aperçu au loin une nuance de couleur blanche et rose. En m’approchant, un Laurier Tin du nom de Youssef me submergea les yeux de sa hauteur imposante de 3 mètres qui me fit trembler si bien que j’ai cru me transformer en fourmi. En discutant avec lui, je m'aperçus qu’il n’était pas si terrifiant. Au contraire, c’était un arbuste dense et facile à vivre, sa beauté et sa vigueur me firent rougir malgré moi.

Comme il faisait encore frais étant donné que nous étions encore en hiver, je lui proposai de venir boire un chocolat chaud chez moi. En marchant à ses côtés, je vis à quel point son feuillage persistant, assez touffu, d’un vert sombre et mystérieux bougeait avec le vent et la douceur de ses boutons fleuries contrastaient avec son feuillage : c’était une œuvre vivante un peu comme un tableau impressionniste. Après être arrivée chez moi, il me demanda « quelle est cette drôle d’odeur ? » je lui répondis que c’était sans doute le parfum de mes rosiers. Youssef avait l’air surpris qu’une plante puisse dégager une odeur spécifique car lui n’en avait pas, c'est donc pour cela qu’il s’était approché des fleurs pour les sentir.

Enfin, après avoir passé l’après-midi ensemble, il rentra chez lui et moi je retournai sur mon canapé en ayant découvert beaucoup de choses sur Youssef comme le fait qu’il était exposé au soleil et que son mois de floraison était de janvier à décembre.

Les jours passèrent et je ne m’arrêtais pas de penser à lui, si seulement il pouvait être près de moi, je n’avais jamais eu de coup de foudre comme celui-ci… Une semaine après cette rencontre, j’entendis quelqu’un toquer à ma porte, en ouvrant, à ma grande surprise c’était Youssef le Laurier Tin. J’étais tellement heureuse de le revoir que je l'ai pris directement dans mes bras et nous sommes restés longtemps comme ça.

Après avoir discuté pendant longtemps, il me dit qu’il était venu pour m’annoncer quelque chose. Un peu surprise je lui demandai ce qu’il avait à me dire et avec un grand sourire il m’annonça qu’il avait décidé de déménager et de s’installer près de moi pour qu’on puisse se voir tous les jours car il était prêt à tout pour moi et n’avait jamais aimé quelqu’un comme ça. Depuis ce jour je ne me suis plus jamais senti seule car le Laurier Tin symbolise la loyauté et la protection.

Întâlnirea neașteptată

Într-o dimineață frumoasă, în timp ce mă plimbam prin pădurea fermecată de lângă casa mea, am zărit în depărtare o pată de alb și roz. Apropiindu-mă, un Laur pe nume Youssef m-a uimit cu înălțimea lui impunătoare de 3 metri, făcându-mă să tremur atât de tare încât am crezut că mă voi transforma într-o furnică. Pe măsură ce vorbeam cu el, am realizat că nu era deloc înfricoșător. Dimpotrivă, era un arbust des, plăcut, iar frumusețea și vigoarea lui m-au făcut să roșesc fără să vreau.

Cum încă era frig, fiind iarnă, l-am invitat la mine acasă pentru o cană de ciocolată caldă. Mergând alături de el, am observat cum frunzișul său veșnic verde, de un verde închis și misterios, se mișca în vânt, iar delicatețea mugurilor săi înfloriți în contrast cu frunzele: era o operă de artă vie, asemeni unui tablou impresionist. Ajunși acasă, m-a întrebat „Ce e mirosul ăsta ciudat?” I-am răspuns că, probabil, era parfumul trandafirilor mei. Youssef părea surprins că o plantă poate emana un miros anume, pentru că el nu avea niciunul, așa că s-a apropiat de flori ca să le miroasă.

În cele din urmă, după ce am petrecut după-amiaza împreună, el a plecat acasă, iar eu m-am întors pe canapeaua mea, descoperind o mulțime de lucruri despre Youssef, cum ar fi faptul că îi place soarele și perioada lui de înflorire este din ianuarie până în decembrie.

Zilele au trecut și nu mă puteam opri din a mă gândi la el – dacă ar putea fi lângă mine… nu am mai trăit niciodată o dragoste la prima vedere ca asta. O săptămână după acea întâlnire, am auzit pe cineva bătând la ușă, și când am deschis, spre surprinderea mea era Youssef, Laurul. Am fost atât de fericită să-l revăd încât l-am luat imediat în brațe și am rămas așa mult timp.

După ce am vorbit îndelung, mi-a spus că venise să-mi spună ceva. Puțin surprinsă, l-am întrebat ce anume, iar cu un zâmbet larg mi-a spus că s-a hotărât să se mute cu mine, ca să ne putem vedea în fiecare zi, pentru că era gata să facă orice pentru mine și nu mai iubise niciodată pe cineva în felul acesta. Din acea zi, nu m-am mai simțit niciodată singură, pentru că Laurul simbolizează loialitatea și protecția.

Η απρόσμενη συνάντηση

Ένα όμορφο πρωινό, καθώς περπατούσα στο παραμυθένιο δάσος κοντά στο σπίτι μου, είδα από μακριά μια απόχρωση του λευκού και του ροζ. Καθώς πλησίαζα, ένα Λαουροκερασιά (Laurier Tin) με το όνομα Γιουσέφ με μάγεψε με το επιβλητικό του ύψος των 3 μέτρων, κάνοντάς με να τρέμω τόσο πολύ που νόμιζα πως είχα μετατραπεί σε μυρμήγκι. Καθώς συνομιλούσα μαζί του, συνειδητοποίησα ότι δεν ήταν τόσο τρομακτικός. Αντιθέτως, ήταν ένας πυκνός, εύκολος στη συνύπαρξη θάμνος, και η ομορφιά και η ζωντάνια του με έκαναν να κοκκινίσω χωρίς να το καταλάβω.

Καθώς έκανε ακόμα κρύο, μιας και ήταν χειμώνας, τον προσκάλεσα στο σπίτι μου για μια κούπα ζεστή σοκολάτα. Καθώς περπατούσα δίπλα του, έβλεπα πώς το σκουροπράσινο, μυστηριώδες αειθαλές φύλλωμά του κουνιόταν στον άνεμο, και η απαλότητα των μπουμπουκιών του ερχόταν σε αντίθεση με το φύλλωμα: ήταν ένα ζωντανό έργο τέχνης, σχεδόν σαν έναν πίνακα ιμπρεσιονιστή. Φτάνοντας στο σπίτι, με ρώτησε: «Τι είναι αυτή η περίεργη μυρωδιά;» Του απάντησα πως μάλλον ήταν το άρωμα των τριαντάφυλλών μου. Ο Γιουσέφ φάνηκε έκπληκτος που ένα φυτό μπορούσε να αποπνέει μια συγκεκριμένη μυρωδιά, καθώς ο ίδιος δεν είχε, κι έτσι πλησίασε τα λουλούδια για να τα μυρίσει.

Τελικά, αφού περάσαμε το απόγευμα μαζί, επέστρεψε στο σπίτι του κι εγώ γύρισα στον καναπέ μου, έχοντας ανακαλύψει πολλά πράγματα για τον Γιουσέφ — όπως το ότι αγαπούσε τον ήλιο και άνθιζε από τον Ιανουάριο μέχρι τον Δεκέμβριο.

Οι μέρες περνούσαν κι εγώ δεν μπορούσα να σταματήσω να τον σκέφτομαι. Αν μπορούσε μόνο να είναι δίπλα μου... ποτέ δεν είχα ξανανιώσει κεραυνοβόλο έρωτα έτσι. Μια εβδομάδα μετά από εκείνη τη συνάντηση, άκουσα κάποιον να χτυπάει την πόρτα μου, και όταν την άνοιξα, προς έκπληξή μου ήταν ο Γιουσέφ, ο Laurier Tin. Ήμουν τόσο χαρούμενη που τον ξαναέβλεπα που τον πήρα κατευθείαν στην αγκαλιά μου και μείναμε έτσι για πολλή ώρα.

Αφού μιλήσαμε για ώρα, μου είπε ότι είχε έρθει για να μου πει κάτι. Λίγο ξαφνιασμένη, τον ρώτησα τι ήθελε να μου πει, και με ένα μεγάλο χαμόγελο μού είπε ότι αποφάσισε να μετακομίσει μαζί μου για να μπορούμε να βλεπόμαστε κάθε μέρα, γιατί ήταν έτοιμος να κάνει τα πάντα για μένα και δεν είχε αγαπήσει ποτέ κανέναν έτσι. Από εκείνη τη μέρα, δεν ένιωσα ποτέ ξανά μόνη μου, γιατί ο Laurier Tin συμβολίζει την αφοσίωση και την προστασία.

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Viburnum tinus

Scientific description

Creative writing inspired by Viburnum tinus

3D Interactive View

Authentic Specimen

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