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Viburnum lentago question

17 years ago

I posted this a few days ago to the shrubs forum with no response, maybe someone on the natives forum would have some thoughts....

Last spring I was able to get a tree form of viburnum lentago (nannyberry). It had been overwintered as a bare root and potted just before receiving, because at planting time there were no roots growing into the soil at all. I soaked it well and hoped for the best but we immediately had 3 days of winds gusting to 50 mph and the leaves withered and died.

The only sign of life this spring is suckers coming up next to the trunk.

Should I wait a little longer? Cut off the trunk at soil level and hope for a shrub form instead? Start over with a new plant (hard to get here, I waited several weeks while the nursery "waited to see if they were alive")?

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Comments (2)

eshore21814
17 years ago
Darwingardener, although I'm not terribly experienced with Viburnums (have been growing them for only a couple of years) I would say that if it were mine I'd be thrilled that it is producing sprouts from the base (and was not dead after its cold dry winter). I would baby it until it thrived and either became the shrub or tree that it wants to be. From what I've read it can grow as either one but only if it's alive : )
ontnative
17 years ago
In my area of Southern Ontario (same zone as you) V.lentago is fully hardy and prefers to grow in a moist, mostly sunny area. I planted some as an informal hedge a number of years ago, but they didn't do as well as I had hoped. I'm sure it was because they were in far too much shade and in very dry soil. A fellow I know grows them all around his back field for the songbirds. His soil is fairly moist and the plants get lots of sun. Viburnum leaf beetle might attack the plant. Can't give you any advice about that.
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