Green Ridge Tree Farm Newsletter
December 1, 2009

There are few plants that have the ability to shine in the garden for multiple seasons of the year.  Viburnum prunifolium (Blackhaw Viburnum) is one of them.

Spring begins with an unfurling of the medium green leaves, which will remain clean and attractive throughout the growing season.  There may be the occasional leaf spot or powdery mildew in late summer, but we have, honestly, never seen neither severe enough to warrant concern or control measures.

As the leaves emerge, creamy white clusters of flowers begin to terminate the branches.  While an up-close encounter will reveal a somewhat pungent fragrance, the aroma is not strong enough to fill the garden, preventing it from being a distraction of the overall beauty.  The floral display will typically last about 2 weeks.

Fruit replace the flowers as the summer progresses.  The 3/8” to ½” oval seeds begin their development green.  As they mature an overall pinkish red cast is the predominant color slowly fading to bluish black by the time fall comes around.  The fruit are relished by wildlife, making V. prunifolium a great plant for woodland gardens and naturalized settings.

Yes, even after all this optical pleasure is presented; Blackhaw Viburnum still has another ace in its pocket.  The clean, green leaves all have become accustom to during the growing season begin to take on some shade of red (bright red to dark purple) as the days begin to shorten and temperatures drop.  This change typically begins around late September here in E’town.  While there is considerable variation in the fall colors among seedlings, we have yet to be disappointed in any of their displays.

Viburnum prunifolium is generally considered a large shrub, but can be trained into a, creatively thinking, small tree.  At Green Ridge we choose to maintain the plant as the shrub form.  The ultimate size is around 12’ t o 15’ tall with a spread of 8’ to 10’.  It can tolerate full sun to partial shade, with partial shade resulting in a reduced flower set, as the shade gets deeper.  Another great landscape attribute for Blackhaw is the fact that it can handle wet and drought very well along with various soil types, including construction clay.

Given its propensity for beauty and ability to tolerate adverse growing conditions, V. p. is a great candidate for informal screens, naturalized settings and a specimen shrub.