It looks like normal bark to me. Some varieties produce thicker bark than others. Some produce it earlier, faster than others. Some cuttings are taken from older, "barkier" wood than others. That would often depend upon what is available at the particular nursery and how high the demand is for the variety. You can't compare one variety to another and expect all of them to produce new basals at the same time nor same rate. Some will, but many will not throw new growth in unison. If the variety is not as strong growing as the next as an own root plant, it isn't going to push new basals as rapidly. Some simply refuse to push new basals (grow "Hell'n Trouble" for first hand grief with that!) while others shoot them out like crazy. It all depends upon the genetics of the particular rose variety; its condition at the moment and how suited it is to your conditions du jour. Kim

Being in the industry, I am amused at the whole idea of buying a Juddii Viburnum off of EBAY. I can tell you that it is typically one of the more expensive shrubs to come by as it grows slower than most Viburnums, and can be a wonderful specimen in the garden. As it tends to grow more out than up I would not be too concerned about "crooked" branches unless they are damaged. You could put the roots in a plastic bag with some straw or newspaper clippings and wet it down a bit. This should be ok. I think it would be better to keep it in a cool place (garage?) so dormancy isn't broken too early(unless it already has?) Less likelihood of damage once it's moved into the garden. Out of curiosity, how much did you pay for these, and how big are they?

LOVE this forum :) I have 2 plants that a client gave me back in May...she chopped off cuttings from her HUGE plant. They have been doing great...but noticed the red spots that some of you have mentioned. They are all over both plants. We live in Tampa...very wet humid weather. I didn't get blooms this year, but I guess from what I'm reading, sometimes you have to wait when starting a new plant from a cutting. I just don't want my plants to dye!! The leaves used to look so healthy and now they look a bit dry, and the spots concern me. I also noticed that 1 or 2 leaves are being eaten up....so I guess I have pests too. Any advise?

That actually looks alot like bacterial canker, to which many members of the Prunus family - including both flowering and fruiting cherries - are very prone. The disease can be stimulated by mechanical damage, cold damage and even irrigation water hitting the side of the trunk. The bacterium colonizes the surfaces of many plants and is relatively common in appropriate climates although you may not notice any sign of infection on some host plants. And it is encouraged by mild, moist springs, especially after hard, cold winters. Other than pruning it out - which is not really possible when it occurs on a trunk - there isn't a lot you can do. The tree will continue on for sometimes a good number of years and often produce magnificent flower displays (as flower trees will do when they are highly stressed or diseased) but it will continue to decline and will eventually need to be removed. This is only one of many reasons why ornamental cherries are not very long-lived trees.