Page 55 - MNLGA Free State Winter 2025

the underside and a serrated margin. cluster that mature into bright red
Autumn colors the leaves red to "A garden without a drupes that turn glossy black in late
burgundy. summer.
viburnum is akin to
Viburnum lantana ‘Mohican,’ As Dr. Michael Dirr wrote in his
or Wayfaringtree Viburnum, is a life without music manual of Woody Landscape Plants,
compact deciduous shrub with and art”. ’A garden without a viburnum is
arching branches to form a round akin to life without music and art”.
mound, growing 6-8 feet tall and Dr. Michael Dirr These beautiful plants provide color,
9-10 feet wide with thick leathery fragrance, shapes and sizes to fit so
dark green leaves that have a finely in full sun to partial shade. Plants many sunny or shady landscapes.
toothed margin, turning yellow to grow 4-5 feet tall and wide in a dense The native viburnums are versatile,
red hues in the autumn. This plant is upright rounded form. It is considered low maintenance plants providing
considered desirable for the lightly a desirable plant for not only the tiny significant ecological and ornamental
fragrant flowers that appear in May creamy white flowers grouped into a value. The flowers provide nectar and
on flat top clusters that expand from 6-inch-wide half round cymes in late pollen for many pollinators, while the
3-5 inches in diameter. In the autumn spring, but also for the shiny bright bright red to black drupes provide
the flowers mature into bright red red drupes that hang in clusters and winter food sources for many of our
berry-like drupes. The intense red last through the cold winter months native songbirds, gamebirds and
color will last a month before turning until spring, creating winter color and mammals. The evergreen viburnums
black, adding color to the autumn interest in the landscape. The dark provide winter protection for many
landscape. The fruit attracts many green wrinkled 5-inch-long leaves are birds and small mammals, while
bird species while the flowers bring coarsely toothed and turn bronze the deciduous viburnums provide
many pollinators including butterflies and burgundy red in the autumn. artistic shapes. Some thrive in moist
and bees. This cultivar has excellent soil while others prefer to grow
resistance to bacterial leaf spot, and a Viburnum plicatum var tomentosum in medium to dry soil. The newer
level of resistance to deer browsing. ‘Mariesi’ is considered desirable for its cultivars provide plants with better
beautiful horizontal branching habit
Viburnum dilatatum Cardinal Candy that creates a layered look. The non disease resistance, stronger colors
®
is a cultivar of Linden Viburnum, a fragrant lacecap flower clusters grow and textures of leaves, sweeter
compact deciduous shrub thriving 4-6 inches wide with the outer ring fragrances, longer periods of blooms
of sterile flowers, a brilliant white that or colorful fruit. They have no serious
insects or diseases, and require very
surrounds the tiny fertile flowers in little pruning. A
mid to late spring. In the summer the
small red berry-like drupes gradually
turn black and are enjoyed by many
birds and mammals but are slightly
toxic to humans.

Viburnum x rhytidophylloides
‘Alleghany’ is considered desirable
for it evergreen textured dark green Ginny Rosenkranz
leathery foliage. The creamy white Extension Educator, Commercial
Horticulture, University of Maryland
flowers are arranged on a round flat
Extension, Dorchester, Somerset,
Wicomico and Worchester County
PHOTOS PAGE 50: 410 749-6141 x106
Viburnum arrow flower rosnkrnz@umd.edu
Viburnum carlesii plant

Membership Matters • WINTER 2025 55