http://www.classicviburnums.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.home/index.htm Classic Viburnums Viburnum x pragense Prague Viburnum A hybrid cross between V. rhytidophyllum and V. utile made at the Prague Municipal Gardens, Czech Republic in 1955. An attractive, fast growing shrub, growing to 10' tall and 8-10' wide giving it upright oval to oval-rounded. The very waxy foliage is dark green above and felt gray beneath, 2-4" long, elliptic-lanceolate, and semi-evergreen. Flower buds are flat and pink, opening to pinkish-white, slightly fragrant 3-6" cymes in May. Fruit is red, changing to shiny black but very sparse to non-existent. Severe leaf burn but no stem or bud damage at -17�. The evergreen foliage makes it an excellent screening plant while the very waxy leaves and fine texture lends its use as an accent plant. The growth extensions are very vigorous and need to be pruned to achieve density. It can be easily trimmed as a formal hedge and I have been told of pragense being sheared as a capitata yew at a cemetery in downtown Kansas City. Zone 5 USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 Height: 10 Feet Spread: 8-10 Feet Viburnum x pragense Characteristics Growth Rate in the Garden Moderate to Fast Habit Upright, rounded Soil Requirements Acid Moist, well drained Sun Requirements Full Sun to Part Shade Flowering Season Mid to late May Fragrant Flowers Yes Fruit Sparse Red to black Winter foliage Semi-evergreen

the problem with doing it online.. is that the pictures will not be blooming in sync with the actual plant ... what i was getting at.. was that when you lack a name ... just shop the 'timing' of the actual flower ... it never fails to amaze me.. how ... e.g. .. every forsythia for 20 miles around.. will all bloom within days of each other.. and if you saw some weird yellow flowering bush.. and happened to stop in the nursery.. it wouldnt take long to figure out what it is.. besides the person there might know since he drove thru the same area on the way to work .... believe it or not.. there are things where the web fails ... lol ... ken

Bellarosa, my VV has never had a problem with blooming. It is just that in the three years I have had it, it hasn't really gotten very tall and turned into a monster as far as overall size. Most of the type III viticella clematis that you purchase can become a monster in size if you don't prune it down each year ( also provided it doesn't get killed back by mother nature during the winter). In Linda Buetler's book, she shows a picture of Polish Spirit that had never been pruned back and is climbing a tall evergreen tree of some sort. The only problem with doing that is that the plant flowers on new wood so any old wood shouldn't have any flowers and the older woody growth may loose its foilage and become leggy. I may have to try not pruning my VV this year and see what happens to it though! I love a good experiment! Annie, it sounds as if your viburnums would work wonderfully for D of A. The plant will take a few years to get established and really get going and if you keep it pruned back the first year or so to establish a good root system, it shouldn't overwhelm your plants and give them a chance to get growing. As far as how big D of A might get, I will leave that to be answered by someone who has had theirs longer. Mine has been in the ground for only three years and is on the north side of the house. Good luck!

Hildebrant's - yes. Years ago I went to Mr. Hildebrant looking for a variety of shrubs, including Symphocarpus. He told me I'd was the only person who'd ever asked for it and proceeded to give me all of his Symphocarpus for cost - I think I got 6 good size plants. I need to go see him about the alder I'm looking for. Thank you for reminding me of him - although I drive by everyday on my way to work I come home a different way and never thought of stopping there. Yes, Lisa, do go visit Mr. Hildebrant.