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A Hobby Greenhouse Will Get You Growing!
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Pruning Basics
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Virburnum Dentatum -Chicago Luster Viburnum
One of my favorite vibirnums is the plant known Virburnum
Dentatum- The Chicago Luster Viburnum. Viburnums are the most
attractive, versatile, adaptable shrubs for any landscape. They
can be used as hedges or screens and in mixed perennial and
shrub borders. They can also stand as specimen plants. They
usually in the form of shrubs, but can become small ornamental
trees.(sieboldi) They range in size from the small Dwarf
American Cranberry at 2 feet tall by 2 feet wide, to the Siebold
at over 15 feet tall.
Viburnums are plants with year round interest. Viburnums have
white to pink flowers in the spring. Some are fragrant. They
have large, attractive and often textured leaves. Some viburnums
have wonderfully fragrant flowers that are produced in snowball
like clusters in the spring. The flower clusters can be of pink
buds, which develop into white flowers. Some fruits are red and
turn black with age. Leaves are glossy, dark green and turn a
burgundy color in the fall. Midsummer berries are an important
food source for birds. Viburnums are a must for the avid birder.
Viburnums can have colorful red to purple leaves. Some viburnums
can become medium-size trees, especially if they are pruned.
Viburnums are specimen plants or as anchors in mixed borders and
hedges. You won't find a more versatile group of shrubs for
hedges or for massing in groups, since viburnums hold their own
in every season and landscape. Some viburnums, such as Prague
viburnum, are evergreen and have fragrant flowers. Others, such
as leatherleaf viburnum, are semi-evergreen in colder climates,
losing their leaves when temperatures dip below 10 degrees.
We like Viburnums because of their adaptability and durability.
While they would prefer full sun and moderately watered,
well-drained rich soils, they grow very well in part shade in
alkaline, clay soils. Diseases and pests are not common for
viburnums. We have more trouble from my kids running over them
with brush hogs. They claim they were testing their durability.
Yet all the viburnums they chopped to the ground survived. In
fact, we sold these plants for a premium as they produced better
numbers of desireable stems. Their fibrous root system makes
them transplant and propagate easily. (We do have more
difficulty with the Korean Spice rooted cuttings.)
If you are shopping for a sharp hardy shrub consider one of the
many cultivars of the Viburnum family. In fact select a couple
of them. You will be rewarded with shrubs with all season
interest.
Viburnums have long been popular garden plants, celebrated for
their white, often fragrant spring flowers and their fall color.
But it's the Asian viburnums
that are prized. Perhaps the most
widely known viburnums are the Burkwood viburnum (Viburnum x
burkwoodii), and the Korean spice viburnum (V. carlesii), both
of which fill the air with an enchanting clovelike aroma in
mid-spring. (The Mohican is a cross of the two.) Also popular is
the doublefile viburnum (V. plicatum f. tomentosum), valued for
its layered habit, fall foliage, and clusters of red fruits, and
its close relative the Shasta, a gold medal winner. Viburnum
acerifolium (Maple-leafed viburnum) Although I wouldn't garden
without any of these, I have a special fondness for native
viburnums. They may not provide the flower fragrance of their
Asian counterparts, but I love them for their fall foliage color
and for their fruit displays, which attract birds to my garden
in the fall and winter months. In addition, several are useful
to waterwise gardeners or in urban conditions. They require only
corrective pruning, and none commonly suffer from pests or
diseases.
Viburnums are considered moist woodland plants. In nature they
are found along steam banks from Long Island to Florida. When
you come to our 5275 West Swamp Rd. location ask us to show some
in their native habitat that we found along our stream bank.
These plants perform well under normal landscape conditions. I
especially like the floral display in the spring and these
viburnums that bear fruit in the fall. Winterthur has great red
leaves and abundant fruit in the fall. This cultivar needs a
cross pollinator such as viburnum nudum.
Native Americans used Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood viburnum) for
arrow shafts. There stems are long and strait. This plant will
grow in places many plants struggle. So if you have had trouble
with plants in a harsh location try this cultivar. Viburnums We
raise over 10 types of Viburnums on our farms from seedlings to
5' shrubs. If you have poor soils due to compacting from
construction, try viburnums. Being rugged and hardy, they
perform where other plants fail. American Cranberry Bush
KoreanSpice Blackhaw ArrowwoodViburnum Chicago Luster (we have
500 3-6' that must be sold by Sept 28 2005) Dawn Summer
Snowflake Shasta Winterthur Blue Muffin Burkwood Erie Tea Judd
Korean Spice Praque Siebold If you come to our Nursery I would
be pleased to show you these plants in the nursery and where
they are going native in the area on a stream bank in Peace
Valley Park. You can see my other web sites at
http://www.seedlingsrus.com http://www.zone5trees.com
http://www.highlandhillfarm.com and http://www.huntingrelics.com
About the author:
Bill has been raising Nursery stock on 200 acres in Doylestown.
He raises over 10 varieties of viburnums
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