Viburnum (viburnumnudum) Brandywine and Winterthur combine to make lots of wildlife berries

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Viburnum Brandywine
A gardener can never have too many versatile Viburnums! They are pretty much deer resistant, bring butterflies when they are in flower, produce berries for wildlife in the winter and many have fragrant flowers.

Viburnum Winterthur
The 150 Viburnums vary in their need for shade, part-shade or sun and also in their need for moisture so study your location (sun after your trees leaf out, distance from nearest water source, etc.) before making a variety selection.

There are many beautiful native varieties for US gardeners, too.

Viburnum Brandywine is one that needs sun - but look at those berries!   In order to get the most fruit, plant with Viburnum Winterthur for cross-pollination.


Bluestone Perennials has V. Brandywine on sale right now, if you are interested.

Blue Heron Nursery describes Viburnum nudum Winterthur as a dense shrub with deep green leaves that turn red in the fall. Creamy white flowers followed by white berries that turn pink and then blue. Plant with Brandywine as a pollinator for more berries. MOIST to WET soil!

Other Viburnums of Interest
Viburnums are usually shrubs and most have a fairly wide spread.
Dwarf varieties include Viburnum opulus 'Nanum' - under 3 feet.
Very tall varieties such as Seibold viburnum (V. seiboldii) grow up to 20 feet tall.
Viburnums can be pruned into trees or hedges or left to take their own natural shape.
They can be used as specimin plants, placed individually or grouped with several varieties.

Most viburnums are deciduous (lose their leaves in cold weather but Prague viburnum (V. Pragense) is evergreen.
Leatherleaf viburnum (V. rhytidophyllum) is semi-evergreen holding its leaves until temps drop below 10F.

If you want to prune a viburnum's bottom branches and plant under their otherwise dense cover, check to see if your planting area will support are V. plicatum var. tomentosum (U of Ill Ext).

Viburnum Newport carlesii Compactum (Classic Viburnums)
Viburnum X bodnantense Dawn (MO Botanical Garden) Pink blooms on leaf-naked stems in March/April, grows 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide, part-shade to full-sun, avoid really wet or very dry soil.

For all things Viburnum, check out the Viburnum Library at http://www.classicviburnums.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.main/index.htm

Cole Burrell's article about native Viburnums for your native garden
http://www.ahs.org/040329_TAG/Native_Viburnums.pdf

and West Virginia U's coverage of all things native Viburnum
http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/wildlife/ntvplts/viburn.htm

Comments

Unknown said…
Great post. I love Viburnum x juddii. It has a nice, round habit with white, fluffy flowers, but the real show-stopper is its fragrance. The UT Gardens has a specimen that can be smelled at the front entrance if the right breeze blows along when its in bloom.
January 13, 2013 at 5:16 PM
Molly Day said…
Ohhhh, that sounds lovely, Amanda. Each plant I write about is one I want more of and I think I'll get more native Viburnums.
January 14, 2013 at 6:44 AM
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