Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Got a viburnum orientale from Raulston Arboretum, 1 by ViburnumValley

ViburnumValley wrote:
You need to get out on a Viburnum tour!

There should be quite a few in relative natural areas around west ChicagoLand, like the District Parks or Forest Preserves. These viburnums, many of which I\'ve seen myself, are part of the cycle of insects, birds raising their young, and cycling of biomass and nutrients. You can\'t make that up. Morton Arboretum has an excellent collection, and lots of information on where these species are found. Your strong native plant societies can also fill in informational gaps.

Viburnum acerifolium, Viburnum cassinoides, Viburnum dentatum, Viburnum lentago, Viburnum molle, and Viburnum prunifolium should be gracing plant communities near you. There\'s a lot of seasons of interest with just those, and you already know that there is almost no limit when you start looking at named selections, hybrids, and exotic species.

I think \'Chicago Lustre\' first headlined on Bourbon Street, strutting her stuff...

Your limit is probably going to be available space, from which you can extrapolate to neighborhood needs. Note when friends, neighbors...strangers...have failing plants in their landscapes and proffer the idea (and plant, since you will always have extras) of what will suit that spot perfectly.

That\'s how neighborhood arboretums get underway, and improve everyone\'s landscapes, environments, and joy.

http://www.cityofsenecagardens.com/aboretum_project.htm

That article barely scratches the surface of the work done since 1987, and that has accelerated since the early \'90s.