The Viburnum Prunifolium or Blackhaw Viburnum
The Blackhaw viburnum is known as Viburnum Prunifolium to be
exact. This plant will be adaptable to many soil types; shaded
or sunny, and can do well in dry soils. This article give a
brief introduction to this interesting landscape plant. Like all
Viburnums, this plant is very easy to grow. My kids once ran
over a bunch of rows of blackhaw viburnums with a brush hog. To
our supprise they all recovered and were actually improved as
they put out lots new shoots and branches. It was a fast trim
job but it worked well. (We don't advise this as a cultivational
practice.) With its rounded, stiffly branched habit the Blackhaw
Viburnum reminds you of a Hawthorn. It is a very easy plant to
grow. It can be purchased as a seedling, a rooted cutting, a
potted starter plant in qt. pots, to 5 gal. pots, and B&B field
dug plants. In your landscape it can be a small tree because
plants attains a height of 12 to 14 feet. The Blachhaw Viburnum
has dark green, glossy, leathery leaves turn a dark reddish to
purple in the fall. It is an attractive leaf. This viburnum has
creamy white flowers are borne in flat-topped flower clusters
during May. The fruit turns blue-black at maturity. The fruit of
this viburnum, which is sweet and edible, is nearly half an inch
long, bluish black, covered with a bloom, and ripens in early
autumn. It contains a small and somewhat flattened stone. The
mature fruit makes good preserves. It is ripe when it turns
black. The leaves are small enough that they don't pose a raking
and cleaning problem. Birds frequent this shrub for feed and
shelter. Plants are native and tolerate shade but flower and
fruit best in full sun. Habitat and range: The blackhaw viburnum
occurs in dry woods and thickets and on rocky hillsides from
Connecticut to Florida and west to Michigan and Texas, but is
mostly found in the South. I have never seen a native Blackhaw
Viburnum in our county (Bucks County, Pa. ) that occured
naturally. It will still thrive in the soils around our county,
Bucks County, Pa. On our plant durability list, we rate this a 9
for ease of transplanting and site adaptability. There are also
few serious pests that homeowners need to concern themselves
with. We have many deer on our nursery and we have not seen much
deer damage to this plant by deer feeding on this plant. You can
call us or visit our web site for more information on other
Viburnums. See http://www.zone5trees.com
http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.highlandhillfarm.com