TREE AND SHRUBSLeaf it to me

Arrowwood Viburnum Shrub

Shrubs are vital to a successful garden. They offer fragrant flowers inside the spring, lush green foliage in the course of the summer time and colorful foliage throughout the fall. Evergreens add color to the winter landscape. With a seemingly endless list of shrubs accessible towards the gardener, picking the appropriate one for the garden takes a bit of planning. This post covers some common, uncomplicated to grow shrubs.

Many deciduous shrubs, those shrubs which lose their leaves in winter, are uncomplicated to develop and require quite small maintenance. Hydrangea, for example, is usually a common deciduous shrub which can thrive for years with only occasional pruning. They’re one of the couple of summer time blooming shrubs and no garden is total without having them.

But that’s not all they’ve in their favour. No, this genus includes plants for all seasons and all reasons; foliage, flower, autumn colour, scent, groundcover, shrub or small tree, evergreen or deciduous, it is all there amongst the 120-odd species plus the quite a few hybrids and cultivars. Indeed, they’re so variable that it could be very doable to have an intriguing garden of viburnums alone.
Although viburnums may be observed over significantly of the temperate northern hemisphere as well as South America, most of the typical plants in our gardens, with the exceptions of the Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus) and the Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus), occur naturally in temperate Asia or are derived from the species of that area.
About the only drawback with viburnums is that for the reason that they’re so adaptable and easy to grow, they appear to have suffered from the ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ syndrome that sees prevalent plants, on the other hand attractive and useful, relegated to the lower divisions of the garden league in favour of some thing extra ‘exciting’.
Foliage
While the obvious division in the genus is between the evergreen and deciduous types, it’s not really that clear-cut. This can really be an benefit mainly because they retain sufficient foliage to not look bare over winter when also creating vivid autumn tones inside the leaves that fall. The incredibly well-liked Viburnum × burkwoodii is the finest example of this behaviour.
The foliage varies, but is in most cases a pointed elliptical shape and deeply veined. Variegated foliage isn’t common, but where it does occur, the patterns and colours can be striking. The variegated form of Viburnum tinus is rather popular.
Flowers
Viburnum flowers are practically usually white or pale pink, but within that restricted colour range is observed an enormous assortment of blooms. Most normally the flowers are all fertile, but some species have hydrangea-like flower heads in which small clusters of fertile flowers are surrounded by substantial sterile ray florets. Cultivars have been raised with flowerheads entirely composed of sterile flowers. A sterile Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’ [syn. 'Sterile']) in full flower normally droops beneath the weight of its big flower heads.
Although spring will be the key flowering season, many of the most fragrant viburnums start to bloom in winter, or even late autumn. Because their flowers are not brightly coloured and insects are fewer in winter, they presumably use scent as a suggests to attract from a higher distance those pollinators that are around.
Fruit
In all cases, except for the sterile cultivars, the flowers are followed by berry-like drupes. While usually interestingly coloured, the drupes aren’t usually show, though when they are, they is usually a actual feature.
Cultivation
There is not a lot to say here; viburnums are easy. Except for all but a couple of in the rather coldest of New Zealand gardens, hardiness is not a problem; they’re not fussy about soil type; most will grow perfectly nicely in sun or component shade and some will develop in very dark corners.
Success with viburnums is not so a lot a matter of obtaining them to develop but directing and managing the growth they make. Although viburnums are plants with an in-built resistance to formal shaping, try to establish a great framework of principal branches when the plants are young or they could develop into a mass tangled twigs rather than neat bushes.
As soon as probable following flowering, thin out any congested or weak stems and shorten back the principal branches. There’s absolutely nothing complicated here, it’s just matter of letting a lot more light and air into the centre of the bush and directing the plant’s energy into productive wood instead of spindly growth. If this is done for the initial 5 years or so, you must have well-shaped, heavy flowering plants.
However, pester your local garden centre sufficient and they must be in a position to get hold of any of the following.
Viburnum bitchiuense
Found in southern Japan and Korea, this 3m tall deciduous shrub is stunning in its own correct when also being a parent of many appealing hybrids. It has large, strongly fragrant pink flowers that fade to white. They open in spring and are followed by black drupes.
Viburnum × bodnantense (Viburnum farreri × Viburnum grandiflorum)
A hybrid in between two Chinese deciduous species, this 2.5m tall bush has rounded bright green leaves and little clusters of white flowers having a faint pink tint. The flowers are rather fragrant and appear from late winter to early spring, quite fragrant.
Viburnum × burkwoodii (Viburnum carlesii × Viburnum utile)
Viburnum carlesii is deciduous and Viburnum utile is evergreen, so in the spirit of compromise, their 3m tall offspring is semi-evergreen. Its rounded, bright green leaves have greyish undersides and in autumn those that fall develop intense yellow, orange and red tones before dropping. In mild locations the flowers open from late winter, elsewhere they seem in spring. They are white, opening from pink buds and are carried in ball-shaped clusters in spring. Their fragrance can scent the entirety of a small garden.
The flower heads are up to 15cm across and complement the large, rather glossy leaves.
Viburnum carlesii
At initial sight this native of Korea and Japan resembles the extra popular Viburnum × burkwoodii, which just isn’t surprising as it one of that hybrid’s parents. However, it’s totally deciduous along with a much more compact plant, rarely exceeding 1.8m tall. You’ll find quite a couple of cultivars of which ‘Aurora’ (flowers in various shades of red pink and white) and ‘Cayuga’ (orange autumn foliage) are the most popular. Others, for example the widely grown ‘Chesapeake’ are hybrids with Viburnum utile.
Viburnum davidii
While capable of growing to 1.5m tall, this western Chinese evergreen species is a lot more commonly observed as a mounding groundcover. Small clusters of white flowers open from late winter to mid-spring and are followed by steel blue drupes.
Viburnum dentatum
Known as Arrowwood simply because of its use for that purpose by native Americans, this huge deciduous shrub or smaller tree has rather unexciting greenish white flowers and is typically rather an untidy grower. However, this eastern North American species comes into its own in autumn as the black drupes ripen and the foliage develops vivid red tones.
Viburnum erubescens
This early summer-flowering, deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub is native to the Himalayas and found in mountainous locations as far south as Sri Lanka. The flowers are white flushed with pale pink and are followed by red fruits that blacken when ripe.
Viburnum farreri
Although less typical than the hybrids raised from it, this 3m tall, northern Chinese, deciduous species is well worth growing for its quite fragrant pink-tinted white flowers that open from mid-winter.
Viburnum japonica
Like V. davidii, this evergreen shrub is most usually noticed employed as a large-scale groundcover, though it’s capable of growing nicely over 1m tall. A native of Japan, it has deep green, glossy leaves and bronze new growth. Loose clusters of white flowers in late spring are followed by red drupes. Normal trimming right after flowering will keep it compact.
Viburnum lantana
The Wayfaring Tree, a species widespread in Eurasia, is a deciduous, at times tree-like shrub with heads of rather dull creamy-white flowers in spring. It is grown far more for its fruit, which is red ageing to black, and its foliage.
Viburnum opulus
Found from Europe and North Africa to Central Asia, the Guelder Rose is a significant deciduous shrub with mid green, deeply lobed, maple-like leaves that redden in autumn. Rounded heads of white flowers in spring are followed in late summer time by red fruit. The bark contains a glucoside, viburnine, that has makes use of in herbal medicine, especially inside the control of spasms and cramps. ‘Roseum’ (syn. ‘Sterile’) is typically a cultivar with substantial heads of all-sterile flowers. It is known as the snowball tree for the reason that of the size and colour of its flowerheads and is far additional widely grown than the species.
Viburnum plicatum
From China and Japan, this deciduous shrub grows to around 3m tall and has rounded, mid green, hazel-like leaves with serrated edges. The tiered branches are tiered make this species extremely distinctive and are a feature which is particularly apparent inside the cultivar ‘Mariesii’. ‘Rosacea’ is usually a cultivar with bronze young foliage and pink-tinted, all-sterile flowers in big heads.
Viburnum rhytidophyllum
While this late spring- and summer-flowering Chinese species has reasonably attractive heads of creamy-white blooms, it is genuinely a foliage plant. The upper surfaces are slightly glossy along with the undersurfaces are heavily coated in a grey to tan felt. If the flowers interest you, look for ‘Roseum’, which has pinkish red blooms.
Viburnum tinus
Once one of the most well-known hedging plants, though not so prevalent now, the Laurustinus is a 3m tall, evergreen shrub from southern Europe and North Africa. It has leathery, bark olive green and in late winter and spring puts on an excellent display white flowers that frequently develop pink tints.
Viburnum trilobum
As described earlier, the High-bush Cranberry is frequently a 2.5m tall, deciduous North American shrub. It has lobed, maple-like leaves that frequently turn bright red in autumn. Flat heads of white flowers open in spring and large clusters of rather bright red berries in late summer time to autumn.
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A little searching, especially through mail order catalogues, will yield rather a number of extra species, hybrids and cultivars. Or you may try propagating your own. The species may well be raised from seed, which is usually most effective stratified, but hybrids and cultivars should be propagated vegetatively, most commonly by semi-ripe cuttings.

Butterfly bush is an straightforward care, summer time blooming shrub with fragrant flowers. As the name suggests, they’re appealing to butterflies. Some varieties develop up to six feet tall and six feet wide so they’re more appropriate towards the bigger garden.

Viburnums have long been a gardener’s favorite as they’re one the most versatile, adaptable and simple care shrubs available. You will find over 120 varieties of Viburnum so there’s one for just about every garden. Some viburnums, like the Korean spice or judii varieties are suitable for shrub borders and as specimen plants. Others have a far more natural feel, including the arrowwood or maple-leaf viburunum, that are fantastic for the woodland garden. Most varieties retain colorful berries in the winter.

Many evergreens are straightforward to develop also and provide gardens with year-round interest. Rhododendrons, for example, a showy, spring blooming shrub, are ideal for the mixed border and best for naturalizing the landscape. As soon as a rhododendron is planted, it calls for little maintenance. Though not necessary, pinching off invest blooms encourage a wholesome bloom the following year.

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See Really Hacking back on Viburnums And How to Trim them hard HHF Video

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