Doublefile Virburnum

[Ann B.]

'Viburnum Tomentosum'

Often referred to as Snowball Bush (one of many), I have wanted one of these for awhile but could never find one locally until a couple of weeks ago.

Walmart has them, bareroot, for about $4.97, but I wouldn't purchase one until the leaves started to show. You see, it is the leaves and not so much the flowers that I like so much in this particular snowball bush. My neighbor has the other kind, so I could take a cutting off it, but I like the crinkled leaves.

Anyway, now I have one, and somehow I need to manage to get it planted soon so that it can flourish, and I can take cuttings to make more.

I'll take a picture when it gets a little bigger and has blooms.

[Rebecca]

The Doublefile wouldn't like my garden: clay soil and subject to drought. Darn, 'cause it sur-nuff is a purdy thing!

Rebecca

[Tom]

Let us know how it works out for you Ann. I have considered it, but always thought the weather was just too hot for it here. Like Rebecca, I also have heavy clay, but would be willing to make a place for it, if I thought it would survive out hot summer. I'm not much of a 'zone stretcher'

[Ann B.]

Well, this jewel is getting planted in the garden this week, and we will see.

I don't guess that I would consider my soil to be clay. The topsoil is great, but 2-4 foot down, you can hit some clay.

My only real concern here is humidity, but often that helps plants tolerate heat. The one factor that I do not know is how many chill hours are required.

We will see how well it does this summer. I suspect it will do its best when it is well established.

Anyway, it was cheap and well worth the try.

[Rebecca]

I have seen them grown up here, but in what I would call a horticulturist's garden. Those gardens that are extensively landscaped with well amended soils and automatic irrigation systems. The Oak Leaved Hydrangeas grow wonderfully here as well as many of the other types of Viburnum. And most of those were not found in just any old garden either! I have sen some nice Dwarf Viburnums ground in well kept apartment complexes along with things like clumps of Paper-white and River Birch. Noe theres a tree for up North. Last year when we had that awful ice storm and so many trees were destroied or near so, the birch trees took it in stride, most were laying prostrate on the ground and you'd have thought they were gonners but as the ice melted they just gradually rose back up and into their normally graceful selves. I did not see one stinkin Mulberry tree damaged though (unless there was a dead limb to begin with). Man, even Mother Nature can't kill those darned trees!

I'll just keep my little "Sumer Snowball Bush" and keep pruning it until I finally get it to the form I want and take pictures of it from first pristine white blooms to last, pink tinted blooms of fall.

This spring it is getting a training trim and will lose one major branch to bring it back to the "tree" shape I want.


Rebecca

[Ann B.]

'Viburnum Tomentosum' is a particular variety that I have wanted ever since I first set my eyes on the foliage which is nicely textured.

My neighbor has two different varieties and has told me that I could take cuttings any time that I wish, but it is this one that caught my eye.

Being bare root and starting to grow, it was potted up today. I will bring it into the enclosed porch during the next potential frost. I suspect we will have one or two more. It has already started to leaf out.

I know exactly where I want to plant it as soon as the last danger of frost is behind us.

I am so excited about having a week off when it is this pretty!