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Pollinators

Viburnum in the Landscape

by Horsford Team

Viburnum trilobum ‘Redwing’

Learn about all of the species of viburnum and discover a pillar shrub in Vermont’s landscapes.

Soil and Site Preference

Nearly all viburnum are extremely versatile and can grow in a variety of of soil and site conditions. They can handle wet, heavy soils in sun or shade. The only exception is Koreanspice (Viburnum carlesii) which will not like heavy soil or full shade.

Uses in the Landscape

Viburnum make excellent privacy hedges because they sucker and become dense stands even in the winter. Our Garden Center hedge is a good display of this. The variety of viburnum planted here thoroughly block the view of the drive through the nursery year-round. Viburnum are wonderful for hedgerows and naturalizing woods edges as well.

If you would love a viburnum but don’t have as much space, there are excellent compact cultivars such as ‘Bailey’s Compact’ and ‘Blue Muffin’ that are behaved.

Viburnum are celebrated for their wildlife value to birds and pollinators too with their plentiful flowers and rich berries.

Flowers and Fall Color

Their flowers can be grouped into a few categories. All viburnum are excellent for fall color, and their foliage can range from purple, maroon and red.

Flat-topped Cymes
Native species usually have this type of flower. They don’t smell nice to humans, but pollinators love them. They are still very showy in the landscape.

 

 

Chrumps / CC BY-SA 4.0

Globular
Very sweet-smelling and wonderfully fragrant, these are found on Koreanspice (Viburnum carlesii)

 

 

Lacecap
Found on Doublefile (Viburnum p.t.) – very ornate and partially sterile flowers

 

 

Are Viburnum Native?

Native to our area

  1. Viburnum dentatum – Arrowwood
  2. Viburnum prunifolium – Blackhaw
  3. Viburnum lentago – Nannyberry
  4. Viburnum trilobum – American Cranberrybush

The types you may see blooming along Vermont’s fields, windbreaks, and hedgerows are Viburnum dentatum and Viburnum lentago. Viburnum trilobum also grows in the wild, but a little less frequently.

Not considered native to our area

  1. Viburnum p.t. – Doublefile
  2. Viburnum opulus – Snowball
  3. Viburnum carlesii – Koreanspice
  4. Viburnum lantana – Wayfaring tree
Viburnum dentatum ‘Blue Muffin’

Ornamental Berries

Many customers plant viburnum for their showy flowers and berries that range from blue and black, to red. Viburnum dentatum, Viburnum lentago, and Viburnum prunifolium all have blue-black berries. Viburnum trilobum and others have bright red berries.

If berries are one of your top priorities in planting and you’re planting cultivars, be sure to select two different cultivars to ensure pollination. Cultivars are clones and are not genetically different. If you’re using straight species, it doesn’t matter since they are grown from seed. Straight species can pollinate any cultivars.

Viburnum Leaf Beetle

The Viburnum Leaf Beetle (VLB) is an introducted pest that devastated many viburnum about 10 years ago when it first appeared in this area. Adult beetles and larva can defoliate a plant. This pest has been more mellow in recent years, with occasional reports of them. Viburnum dentatum and Viburnum trilobum are more susceptible than other species.

Pruning and Maintenance

With the exception of compact cultivars, viburnum aren’t dainty, small garden plants intended to be pruned regularly into, say, a formal shaped hedge. They are best left to grow to their liking. Their flowering and berries can be affected by pruning regularly as well. We recommend only pruning as needed for dead or diseased material, as well as rejuvenation pruning on older plants. This is where you remove older, woody growth to encourage new growth.

Viburnum Species

Viburnum dentatum ‘Chicago Lustre’

Viburnum dentatum / Arrowwood
Excellent for wildlife as a pollinator plant, food source for berries, and habitat for birds. Indigenous people used the strong shoots that develop from the roots for arrows.

 

 

Photo by David J. Stang / CC BY-SA 4.0

Viburnum prunifolium / Blackhaw
This species is newer to us. We love it for its lateral branching and rounded shape. Very architecturally interesting.

 

 

Viburnum lentago – behind bench in Garden Center hedge

Viburnum lentago / Nannyberry
Upright and vase-shaped. More narrow growth when young and vases over when mature. Slight preference for wetter soils.

 

 

Viburnum trilobum

Viburnum trilobum / American Cranberrybush
Reliable and often planted for wildlife. Flowers are excellent for nectar and bright red showy berries for food.

 

 

Viburnum p.t. ‘Shasta’

Viburnum p.t. / Doublefile
Very architectural and horizontal branching with attractive flowers that bloom along the branches. They are relatively adaptable and we have been impressed with how they grow in our fields. Foliage turns a consistent deep maroon in fall.

 

 

Viburnum carlesii

Viburnum carlesii & Viburnum x Juddii / Koreanspice
These are the most fragrant of all. Their sweet fragrance is similar to daphne and this is often the reason they are planted. They flower slightly earlier than native species. Unlike other viburnum that are adaptable to challenging conditions, Koreanspice generally needs well-drained soils and will not thrive in heavy clay.

Viburnum x Juddii is a hybrid between Viburnum carlesii and Viburnum bitchiuense bred to be a fuller plant. Its habit is full and rounded, and a bit more dense with similar flowers. Viburnum carlesii can be wandering with more foliage on the top.

 

 

Viburnum lantana

Viburnum lantana / Wayfaring Tree
We’ve noticed this species is more resistant to pests and disease. It has very showy red berries when mature and its fuzzy leaves are more resistant to deer.

Filed Under: Gardening, Landscape, Pollinators, Shrubs, Wildlife

Features for the Garden

by E. Schilling

For all the homeowners who complain about low wet areas in their yards, here is a shrub that will flourish along with willows. Cephalanthus occidentalis grows between 3-6 feet tall with a roundish shape. Creamy white flowers appear in late June and persist for a long period of time. Ideal for a naturalized setting, plant it along with elderberry, ilex, and willows. Buttonbush will also thrive in wet clay soils. You will find it growing along rivers and stream beds throughout Vermont.

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Sale excludes ‘Mini Mauvette’

These are the summer-blooming hydrangeas. The most well-known, and for years the only one available, is the variety ‘Annabelle’. It was discovered growing wild in Anna, Illinois in 1910. Its large snowball-like blooms really stood out, as they still do today. A hedge of these makes quite a summer show as their blooms spill and billow with abandon.

Recently, plant propagators have been on a quest to make something perfect even better and have hybridized pink-blooming varieties. These would be ‘Incrediball’, Invincibelle II’ and ‘Incrediball Blush’. All of these have airy, blush-pink flowers with a hint of white.

A note on growing, these all bloom on new wood. This means all the stems must be cut back either in late autumn or early spring or you will barely get a flower. This feature is what makes them so attractive in our growing zone since they may experience some winter dieback any way. Water well the first year upon installation. As years pass by they will become quite drought tolerant. All of these varieties prefer to grow in shade to part sun.

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We planted this native viburnum in our shrub row at the nursery in the early 1980s. While other shrubs have been culled, replaced or died out, this bush is still beautiful. Shiny green leaves, white flowers, and dark blue berries give it year-round interest.

It also has a dense, ground-up growing habit which is good if you hope to block a view as we were. Ours is planted in decent soil and is lightly fertilized every few years if we remember to do so. It never requires watering and we have chosen to allow it to grow naturally. By now it is probably 12-15 feet tall and many a bird has nested in it.

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Winterberry is one of our most favorite shrubs. We grow several varieties of both male and female plants in containers and field-grown, balled and burlapped sizes. The females have berries but you need to have a male planted somewhere on the property for pollination. Since the males ‘Jim Dandy’ and ‘Southern Gentleman’ do not get very big you can tuck them in amongst the females and they will all grow together.

Last fall we planted one of each of the varieties that we grow in a low wet area along our drive from Route 7. They are quite happy; growing nicely and flowering prolifically this spring. If you keep bees, Ilex flowers are addicting to honey bees. This fall and winter we anticipate an abundance of berries in shades of red. Winterberry prefers moist soils. At the nursery we have noticed that they will grow in full hot sun or a mix of sun and dappled shade.

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Aronia or ‘Chokeberry’ is another native plant that we think homeowners would love. It is non-invasive, tolerant of moist soils, and has a beautiful flower. It produces heavy crops of antioxidant-rich fruit in the summer and the leaves turn brilliant scarlet in autumn. Chokeberry is the new “hot” fruit in health-conscious circles. It is quite sour so you may want to have some local honey on hand to mix with it.

Many of the Aronia varieties have a spreading habit and are thus used in bank stabilization situations. You can install a beautiful naturalized planting with these, buttonbush, and winterberry. Do so and soon your yard will be full of berries and birds.

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People are more familiar with the red and yellow-stem dogwoods as their branches are very showy during the winter. The Grey-stem dogwood is a native that historically was planted at the edges of open fields as a wind and snow fence. There are a few fields in town where all the grey-stem dogwoods that bordered the road were cut down. Now those roads are a snowdrift nightmare in winter.

Grey-stem dogwood are fast-growing even in the most difficult of soil conditions. They are pest-free, have white flowers followed by very attractive white berries, and attractive purplish-red foliage in autumn. Mass planted for a quick-growing living fence, you will see that they are tough as nails. Like all dogwoods they can easily be pruned should they get taller than you want.

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This native shrub has a range from Nova Scotia to Minnesota, and Florida to Louisiana. Its natural habitat is swamps, marshes, and wet roadside ditches. At home you would use it wherever you would plant a willow shrub or an Ilex.

Swamp Rose will grow in full sun or part shade and attain a height and spread between 3-6 feet. Its arching branches are covered in very fragrant pink blossoms for 6-8 weeks in June and July. Seeds are propagated by birds eating the rose hips and dropping the seeds. What an attractive addition to the yard!

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Rosa virginiana is another lovely North American native rose with fragrant pink flowers in June. This shrub can be found growing in full sun in well-drained sandy soil. Its dark green, glossy foliage is a beautiful backdrop for the blooms as well as the dark red rose hips that persist into winter (bird food). Very prickly branches act as a natural barrier. If it ever gets too big for your liking simply cut it to the ground and it will regrow with perfect form. Since it is salt tolerant it could be used along a street that routinely gets winter salt sprayed.

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We grow a few types of perennial Asclepias that go by different names. Butterfly Weed is an easy-to-grow perennial provided you give it basic garden soil in a sunny, well-drained site. The bright orange and yellow flowers really shine on hot sunny days. The few in our display gardens always have butterflies fluttering around them. Each year the clump gets a little bigger but it always stays tidy.

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In recent years many varieties of bee balm have cropped up on the plant market and this one is a favorite due to its short stature and compact growing habit. If you have limited space in your full-sun garden but really want to attract hummingbirds, this is the plant to grow. We suggest you cut out a few stalks on the plants once they achieve their height for the season to allow air to circulate. This will help during hot muggy summers.

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This native Joe Pye Weed was discovered growing in a clump of the species in Pennsylvania. Its stiffer branches and upright, compact growth habit distinguishes it from other species. Butterflies are attracted to its domes of magenta flowers in late summer. Plant in moist soils in wild/naturalized settings or rain gardens.

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This native soft-stemmed, shrubby perennial is the perfect solution for gardeners who want a shrub that dies to the ground in winter. The purple stems produce clusters of pale white flowers in July through August, followed by a spectacular display of fruit. This is our go-to plant when we need some heft in the shade garden. Aralia will grow 4-6 feet tall and prefers moist soils.

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Carex pensylvanica is a native sedge happy to grow in dry shade. It will grow in sun also as long as the soil is moist. The golden arching foliage makes a graceful mound in the garden. Use it at the front of a border where it will contrast nicely with dark green foliage.

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Bouteloua gracilis has fine-textured tufted grass with gray-green leaves and masses of delicate flowers with a hint of blue to them. It is the shorter growing of the two. ‘Blonde Ambition’ has taller, more upright stems and flowers that wave delicately in the breeze. We suggest using either in an open wildflower setting. Plant with Echinacea, Coreopsis, or Salvia. Both varieties require a sunny, well-drained situation.

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Packera obovata will easily naturalize in moist soils. Bright yellow daisy flowers welcome spring followed by lush oval foliage. Over time this will form a lovely groundcover in the shade.

Filed Under: Edibles, Gardening, Landscape, Pollinators, Shrubs, Wildlife

Butterfly Gardens: Planting the Big Picture

by E. Schilling

Many homeowners visit the nursery requesting plants that will attract butterflies. What they actually desire are plants with beautiful flowers that butterflies will gravitate to for their abundant nectar. The choices are many and the gardeners at Horsford’s can select a plant suitable for just about any location. But if you want butterflies to return year after year you need to provide more than pretty flowers. A true butterfly garden needs to have both host plants and nectar plants.

The life of a butterfly is very short. It spends most of its time looking for a mate, looking for a host plant on which to lay its eggs, and drinking nectar. The host plant is the food for the butterfly’s larvae. Larvae must hatch on that particular plant because they do not wander looking for food. Some butterflies have a variety of plants that are suitable caterpillar sustenance, while others are limited. Most people focus only on flowering plants for the nectar. A good example would be the popular Buddleia plant (Butterfly Bush). Buddleia is native to central China and Japan. In the late 1800’s plant explorers/collectors introduced it to Europe and then America. Mid summer it is covered with gorgeous flowers to which monarchs flock offering great photo opportunities. However, not a single butterfly will use it as a host plant.

Coneflower and phlox in a Charlotte garden

It will take a little planning and research but anyone can plant a garden that will have butterflies visiting year after year. The easiest way to start is to install plants that serve the dual purpose of host and nectar. All of the milkweeds (Asclepias) are ideal plants. There is the orange and yellow butterfly weed, the common milkweed, and the swamp milkweed. This collection will fill the garden with flowers from June through September and they are host plants for at least a dozen species of butterflies, the most famous being the Monarch.

Asclepias tuberosa / butterfly weed (orange flowering plant) in Horsford’s display gardens

Below is a list of other excellent choices for a Vermont gardener wishing to entice butterflies to their gardens year after year. Keep in mind that you should always choose the original or true native of the species. For instance, the native Coneflower is Echinacea purpurea. When you are choosing a plant for both a host and nectar, butterflies prefer this over the newer hybrids.

– Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia varieties)

– Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) – this performs well in wet sites

– Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium varieties)

– Native Willows (Salix)

– Tulip Trees (Liriodendron tulipifera)

– Black Cherry trees (Prunus) – many people are quick to cut down Black Cherry trees as ‘weed trees’. Think before you pull out that chainsaw, as the black cherry sustains over 400 moths and butterflies species!

– Violets (Viola)

– Oak (Quercus)

– Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

Further suggested reading: Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy

Quercus / Oak
Eupatorium / Joe-Pye Weed
Rudbeckia / Black-eyed Susan
cephalanthus occidentalis / Buttonbush
Lindera benzoin / Spicebush
Salix / Native willows

Filed Under: Gardening, Landscape, Pollinators, Wildlife

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