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Viburnum fruit set

18 years ago

I would be curious about other people's experience regarding how many viburnums of a given species you need to have them set berries. I have read/heard contradictory things. I recently planted 1 arrowwood, 2 cranberrybush, and 2 blackhaw. All quite small right now, so it will be a while before I see the answer for myself.

Will I need to plant one or more additional arrowwoods in order to get fruit set?

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Comments (4)

Iris GW
18 years ago
With native viburnums, the important aspect is overlapping bloom time. I have had (and continue to have) viburnums of different species help each other with cross-pollination. The most obvious of these events has been Viburnum acerifolium (mapleleaf viburnum) mixing with Viburnum dentatum 'Blue Muffin'. Even this year, the V. acerifolium branches that bloomed before the 'Blue Muffin' blooms opened got poor to zero fruit set. The later branches (which happen to be the upper ones) were in bloom when the 'Blue Muffin' blooms opened and they have excellent fruit set.

Therefore, you can consider increasing your potential by adding some other natives and even some cultivars. For me, Viburnum nudum is one the later ones to bloom and so may not be a good pair for what you have (not sure when blackhaw blooms, mine is also too young).

There are several helpful threads about viburnums on the shrubs forum. Here is a link to one of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Helpful thread on the shrubs forum
kelp
18 years ago
To be on the safe side, I'd get 2 different cultivars,(a 'named'variety) or 1 cultivar and 1 straight species. (Because cultivars are vegetatively propagated, they are all clones of each other.) A straight species will pollinate a straight species IF they were grown as seedlings, and not propagated from cuttings. Here's a good thread. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/shrubs/msg021358308743.html?34
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jasonkay
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks, esh ga and kelp. I have the straight species, I guess I'll try a cultivar. Now if only I can figure out a place to squeeze it in.

I'll also check out the shrub forum.
maxcol
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I have a "Winterthur" viburnum. I will probably be purchasing "Brandywine" very soon. How close together do the two need to be in order to produce proper pollination for maximum fruit?

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