The Viburnum cultivar 'Moonlit Lace' is a hybrid of two species not typically grown in our area (the mid-Atlantic) due to cold hardiness: Viburnum tinus and Viburnum davidii. At best, they are hardy to zone 7, and while that does encompass much of central Maryland, they are still considered to be borderline hardy here in an average winter. While this winter's weather was not exceptionally cold, evergreens were more severely damaged overall by winterburn, a common phenomenon that damages leaf tissue due to dry weather or soil moisture that remains frozen for long periods (and inaccessible to roots). Winterburn can cause leaf tissue to turn pale green or brown and dry on the leaf edges or tips (or entire leaves), and purplish discoloration is also a reaction to winter cold exposure or similar tissue injury.

There is no remedy for winterburn after it has occurred, and the damaged leaves will eventually be shed by the plant. If any branch tips also died from winter weather, they can be pruned back later this spring when it's easier to tell which branches are going to leaf-out again and which are not.

Monitor the shrubs for watering needs (see the linked page for guidance) since we are still in drought conditions (carried over from the past 1-2 years). Putting out new leaf and stem growth requires a good supply of soil moisture, so plants that aren't adequately hydrated may struggle to recover this spring/summer.

If the shrubs have struggled to thrive so far, the south-facing, limited-root-zone planting location is likely stressing them. While full sun can be suitable for several Viburnum species, the parents of this hybrid tend to thrive in a bit of afternoon shade (either dappled from a taller plant nearby or bright shade from a building shadow), and they would appreciate soil that is more consistently moist, so would benefit from being watered occasionally during stretches of dry weather.

Miri