Introduction
Are you looking for a shrub that’s attractive year-round and requires little care? Viburnum is an excellent plant for any level of gardener - beginners and black thumbs welcome! Gifts of varied flower shapes and colors, berries that are often as much ornamental as they are decorative, gorgeous foliage, heritage defies the stereotype of viburnum with more than 150 species. Each species has specific characteristics that make it suitable for different purposes.
Whether you want to provide for pollinators, screen an unattractive view, or add a splash of color, this article will help you get all the information you need to plant, care for, and profit from these.
5 Fabulous Reasons to Add Viburnums To Your Garden
What Is Viburnum?
A word for a large group of flowering shrubs and small trees native to North America, Europe, and Asia. Common varieties include V.c, (Korean spice), which is highly fragrant; V. d, an arrowwood species and all its cultivars, the most common being `Blue Muffin’; V. opulus, European cranberrybush.
People adore these plants because:
- Bright flowers
- Bright berries
- Glossy or textured leaves
- Many uses for border, hedge and showcase plants
- It can grow 3 to 20 feet tall.
Benefits of Growing Viburnums
Beautiful Flowers
- Spring or early summer flower clusters of pink or white.
- Some of the types smell good and spicy.
- Attract pollinators, including butterflies and bees.
Vibrant Berries
- Some are purple, blue or black; others are red and bright.
- A favourite food for the birds.
- Spruce up the terrain.
Seasonal Foliage
- Colorful in the fall, it’s either orange, burgundy, or scarlet.
- Lush green in Spring / Summer.
Privacy and Screening
- The shrubby or low-growing types are best used as natural screens or hedges.
- Perfect for urban and suburban gardens.
Wildlife Habitat
- Supports food and shelter for biodiversity.
- Flowers feed pollinators and insects, while berries attract birds.
Little care
- Once it’s established, it can withstand drought.
- It is also disease and pest-resistant.
- There are only a few bits of trimming.
Easy Growing
- Does well in full sun to dappled shade.
- It thrives in various soil conditions.
- Species, hardy in USDA zones 2-9.
Different kinds
- Korean Spice (Viburnum carlesii): 4–6 ft. This fragrant, blooming pink bud plant.
- Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)6-10 feet tall. Native to the U.S.
- Snowball viburnum (Viburnum opulus) tolerates wet soils. 8–12 ft. Great, snowy white flowers resembling snowballs.
- Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium) is the plant’s name. 12-15 beautiful fall-fruiting edible fruits.
- Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum, commonly called doublefile viburnum, is a vase-shaped, suckering shrub that typically matures to 8-15′ tall and as wide.
How to Plant
Where and How Far Apart
- Sunlight: Most viburnums prefer full sun (6 hours or more) but can tolerate partial shade.
- Space: Allow 4 to 10 feet between plants, depending on how large you want them to grow.
- Soil Loamy soil that holds moisture and is rich in organic matter.
Steps for planting
- Dig a hole twice as wide and deep as the root ball.
- Set the plant in the ground at the same level it was growing in its pot.
- Backfill with native soil and compost.
- Water the soil well after planting to allow it to settle.
Viburnum Care Tips
Watering
- Water infrequently throughout the first year.
- Once established, this is moderately drought-tolerant.
Adding fertilizer
- In the spring, apply a balanced , slow-release fertilizer.
- Don’t over-fertilize, as this may prevent flowers from blooming.
Pruning
- For those that flower in spring, trim shortly after they bloom.
- Cutting dead or diseased wood is a task you can do at any time.
- Thin thick growth to promote airflow.
Coping with Pests and Diseases
- Pests: These trees are susceptible to aphids, viburnum leaf beetles, and spider mites.
- Problems: Downy mildew, powdery mildew, and bacterial leaf spot (rare).
- Water them, spread them out and tend to them.
Using Viburnum in the Landscape
- Hedges and Screens: Choose upright varieties for privacy.
- Foundation Plantings: Use lovely leaves and flowers to soften the architecture of your home.
- Pollinator Gardens: Pollinator gardens attract bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.
- Bird Gardens: Its berries are beneficial to bird gardens.
- Mixed Borders: Combine with perennials, grasses and evergreens.
Viburnum Problems and Their Solutions
Bad Blooming
- Cause: Using an excessive shadow or circumference number
- Solution: Cut back or move after blooming
Leave Curling
- Cause: Aphid infestation
- Treatment: Insecticidal soap or neem oil
Little Growth
- Cause: Roots growing too close together, or harmful dirt
- Solution: Improve the drainage and flow of air through it
Chewed Leaves
- Cause: Beetles feeding on leaves
- Solution: Hand-pick or apply organic pest control
Fuzzy Leaves
- Cause: Mildew in powder form
- Solution: So long as air movement is excellent and the sprinkling comes from below, you’re golden.
Conclusion
Viburnum works anywhere in a landscape, too, as it can be grown in so many different ways and looks better than most woody plants from the nursery year-round. It is suitable for many purposes, such as making your yard pollinator-friendly, creating a pretty privacy screen, or just having a blooming shrub that needs no care.
Pick one that thrives in your zone and conditions, and you will be rewarded with years of bright flowers, beautiful berries, or thick leaves without much work.
Viburnum is more than a plant; it’s an attractive, utilitarian and long-lived plant. Just put it in your garden and see what happens.
FAQs:
What is viburnum used for?
It is used as an antispasmodic in asthma, colic, hysteria and stomach problems of all sorts. Their flowers are used to make jam. This is also used as a hedge and for privacy.
Does viburnum smell?
Koreanspice Early spring blooming is a knockout punch with this one.
What is the best way to plant a viburnum?
Most of these species don’t thrive deep in the forest, either: Many prefer open, sunny growing spaces, though wide varieties, like Viburnum daviddii, do best in shaded areas.
