PL ANT OF TH E M ON TH
JIM FUNAI, LIC Cuyahoga Community College
SHELLEY FUNAI, LIC Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens Linden Viburnum
VIBURNUM DILATATUM LINDEN VIBURNUM
Every month, as we talk about which plant is going to be featured, Jim’s go to genus is Viburnum. In truth, if Shelley wasn’t there to restrain him, we would end up with months upon months of Viburnum talk. Can you imagine the horror? Viburnums really are great flowering shrubs, and we know you know that because nearly every landscape across Ohio has at least one. For most of us, we have our tried and true species that never let us down. Doublefile viburnum (V. plicatum) and the many cultivars of it are staples. They have great structure, perfect flowering, and beautiful fruit changing from brightred into a deep, glossy-black. Arrowwood viburnum (V. dentatum) is also a go to for many with the arrow straight stems, fuzzy white flowers, strong fruit set and beautiful fall color. The only big drawback to the Arrowwood is the terrible smell of the flowers. This ain’t no Korean Spice Viburnum!
Around 2007, the sweeping invasion of Viburnum Leaf Beetle (VLB) entered the Northeast corner of our great state, working its way across our landscapes, devouring the native Viburnums. New York had been dealing with the invasion long before us, giving Cornell University, located in Ithaca, N.Y., an oppotunity to do some great research on the susceptibility of many different landscape Viburnums to this foreign beetle. Do a quick search online for Cornell and the VLB and you’ll find their site dedicated to the pest. Luckily, just as quickly as VLB moved into our state, it is moving on after eating all the good stuff. We’ve noticed over the past 3 or 4 years that our native Arrowwood, Trilobums, and Mapleleaf Viburnums are all making a strong comeback. continued on page 28
26 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association