Viburnum Question

This Viburnum Bodnantense Dawn is now planted here for 3 years. Todate, I have never seen it bloom. Should it have buds by now? Thanks

A closer look.

Well, stormyla, there is good news and bad news.

You have quite a vigorous plant there, but....

It's a Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood), not Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn'.

So, you may want to take up that issue with the original purveyor of that plant who may have mislabeled what you bought. However, I find that a viburnum in the hand is worth two in the...uh...garden center?

Your shade conditions illustrated do not seem so dismal that a viburnum would have any trouble flowering, but it won't be as dense, full, and floriferous as in full sun. Arrowwood will probably bloom for you from mid May to early June, depending on your weather conditions which shouldn't be much different from mine here season-wise.

Arrowwoods, like most viburnums, set dormant buds now for next year's flowers, so don't prune them in the fall or you'll be removing the spring bloom. This plant should flower for you next year, but none of us know whether it is a clonal selection or a seedling arrowwood, which could have implications toward how early in life it may be expected to flower. Rooted cuttings of named selections often bloom in their first growing season; some seedlings can take 5 years to muster their energy for blooming.

Ultimately, you are the only one to make the choice about whether you would want another plant, a real 'Dawn'. 'Dawn' will have longer elliptical leaves with heavier constitution. Kind of ridged in character, and very similar to Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum except narrower. Probably the best ID feature for 'Dawn' is to select the plant while it is in bloom. 'Dawn' will have late winter/early spring pink fragrant flowers which begin before it leafs out. It is one of the few hardier viburnums that doesn't have white flowers, and for me in the Ohio River valley it will bloom sporadically through most of the winter on warmer sunny days. It is a good plant to bring in for a winter pick-me-up.

New leaves will sport rather red petioles (how leaf attaches to branch), which is also a distinctive feature. 'Dawn' will also get pretty large. Mine have reached 10+ feet tall and a little less narrow.

Although you don't have the Viburnum you thought you had. Viburnum dentatum is really nice too. I have a row of them along the road. It's taken many years for them to get established. Lost a few because they aren't protected at all from the winter winds. Dentatum get blue berries instead of red, and they appear later in the year here in zone 5. Took a picture this morning. The branches are so loaded with fruit, I'm afraid they may break. Most of the migratory birds have left already. They're missing a feast!

This message was edited Sep 16, 2008 8:33 AM

Thank you Viburnum and Pastime. It's definitely a keeper. I'm happy with anything that struggles to live here. I studied so many Vibunums before I selected "Dawn", so maybe I'll write to the vendor and see if they'll give me a good discount on one.

I have another Viburnum Carlessi that is not doing well. It bloomed beautifully the first year that it was planted. The next year it did not bloom. This year it actually went into a decline, so I cut a lot of the top growth off and it seems to be a little better. It is planted in some pretty dark shade. Do you think I should move it?

The seedling Pragues are growing gang busters!!!

My Snowball fledgling did not survive last year's July - August heat wave.

I've just aquired some young Mohawks. Any suggestions for good location selection?

I don't want much, just all of your knowelge that I can absorb!!! How tolerant are Viburnums of Black Walnut and the dread Alianthus?

Finally!

Don't know if it is just local conditions or a lack of suitable pollination here, but Viburnum × bodnantense 'Dawn' has the big disadvantage of never producing any berries, so isn't very good for birds.

Resin

Lack of suitable pollination and/or pollinators is likely in lack of fruit formation. I finally planted some species that overlap in bloom time and are one of the parent species of 'Dawn' - Viburnum farreri, including the clone 'Candidissimum'. I have fruit forming on the three different plants now, for the first time.

Still, if I was marketing shrubs for birds, Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn' would NOT be in the top 100.

I have the added hurdles of hoping late (early?) frosts and freezes won't wipe out the blooms in February and March. 2009 was a serendipitous year.