Episode 168: Viburnums

Viburnums are a genus of flowering evergreen, semi-evergreen, or deciduous shrubs or (in a few cases) small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. There are more than 150 species and cultivars, many (but not all) of which are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere either in North America or Asia. With this many to choose from, it may be hard to pick which might be appropriate for your landscape.

Enter Eli Joseph-Hunter from Greene Bee Greenhouse ltd, located in Cornwallville (Greene County), NY. Greene Bee is a full service nursery that was started in 2007. Owned by passionate gardeners, it contains a wealth of herbs, perennial, and woody plants and is a delight to visit. Eli rejoins Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley to provide us with a deep dive into this favorite landscape plant.

The good news is that viburnums are adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions, whether it be wet or dry soil, or anywhere between full shade to full sum. In addition to providing beautiful aesthetics, once established, viburnums tend to be drought resistant, require minimal maintenance, and have relatively few disease or insect problems. Some compact species max out under two feet tall, while others grow to be 20 feet high. Considered mostly moderate- to fast-growing plants, viburnums typically grow from 1- 2 feet per year. Some varieties (like arrowwood viburnum) may take seven to eight years to reach their mature size of 15 feet.

Viburnum leaves are opposite on the branches and can be rounded or lance-shaped, smooth, velvety, or rough, and are often deeply veined. They typically have attractive white or pink flowers that bloom between early spring and early summer. The individual florets that grow in clusters at the ends of branches attract many butterflies.. On the deciduous varieties, their fall color can be striking ranging from bright yellow, to glossy crimson, to a deep rusty maroon. Their fruit (drupes) contain a single seed, set in late summer, attract birds and other wildlife, and can be metallic blue, bright red, yellow, orange, or in some cases change from red to deep purple as autumn progresses. A heavy fruit set is more reliable when at least 2 different cultivars or seedlings of the same species are planted together.

Most viburnums are dense shrubs, great as hedges or border screenings, forming a mass of green foliage. They also tend to be relatively deer-resistant shrubs, although recently planted ones should be protected from deer browse, at least for the first year.

From a disease perspective, a variety of fungal leaf spots and a bacterial leaf spot may be fairly common in some areas. Viburnum leaf beetles, aphids, thrips, spider mites, and scale can also be problems, but they are relatively easy to care for.

So don't hesitate to experiment with and enjoy one or multiple viburnum varieties in your landscape.

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas

Guest: Eli Joseph-Hunter

Photo by: Tim Kennelty

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Taly Hahn, Tim Kennelty, Amy Meadow, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski, Eileen Simpson, Robin Smith