Viburnum prunifolium - Blackhaw Viburnum (Adoxaceae) ------Viburnum prunifolium is a small tree or large shrub variable from dark green, burgundy, red, orange, noted for spring flowers, autumn fruits and leaf color, yellow, or purple, and often a mixture thereof, and dense twigginess, low shade, and slow growth. can be showy Blackhaw Viburnum is useful for wildlife refuge, Flowers screen, or naturalized mass planting. -creamy white flat-topped inflorescences in early May to 2.5" in total diameter, effective for 1-2 weeks FEATURES Fruits Form -mixture of green, yellow, and red fruits in upright to -large shrub to small pendulous clusters, changing to blue-black or blue- tree pink and rather bloomy; profusely borne from Aug.- -maturing up to 15' x Nov.; attractive when viewed up-close 10'; upright oval Twigs growth habit in youth, -smooth, gray, and thin, with prominent winter buds becoming upright -vegetative buds valvate with 2 outer scales, while rounded with age the floral buds are swelled at the base and tapering to -multi-trunked and a short stubby apex with 2 scales Washington Hawthorn- Trunk like in terms of dense -multi-trunked, brown-gray, and becoming platy and twigginess (with short shredding with age stubby lateral twigs, but no thorns) USAGE -slow growth rate Function Culture -formal or informal hedges (can be planted densely -full sun to partial shade for a hedge that branches almost to the ground) or -generally urban tolerant; abundantly available in deciduous screen B&B or container form -border, entranceway, foundation, or specimen shrub -primarily available in shrub form but also in single -can be planted in masses to form non-thorny leader or multi-trunked tree forms; propagated by naturalizing thickets; the twiggiest and most dense seeds or rooted cuttings Viburnum, resembling a Washington Hawthorn -Honeysuckle Family, with no serious pest problems Texture and powdery mildew as an occasional leaf cosmetic -medium texture in foliage and when bare; thick disease density in foliage and when bare -the twiggiest and most dense Viburnum, resembling Assets a shrub form Washington Hawthorn (hence the -urban tolerant; showy creamy inflorescences in common name of Blackhaw Viburnum, with the spring and showy red-black berries in autumn "black" referring to the color of very old bark, and -dense twigs and foliage can be utilized as a the "haw" referring to the Hawthorn-like appearance) deciduous screen; if limbed up, a possible substitute -in addition to being confused with Viburnum for Washington Hawthorn without its malodorous lentago, it also shares many morphological features flowers but also without its showy, winter persistent, in common with Viburnum cassinoides (Witherod red berries Viburnum, noted for its consistent pink and blue -wildlife refuge and attraction autumn fruits) and Viburnum rufidulum (Rusty Liabilities Blackhaw Viburnum, noted for its super-glossy dark -the dense low-branching twiggy habit with its green summer foliage that explodes into vibrant associated shade, wildlife attraction; occasional scarlet or bright yellow hues in autumn) suckers from the roots Foliage Habitat -medium green, deciduous, opposite, elliptical, finely -Zones 3 to 9 serrated; petiole -Native to the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. is widened but has non-warty SELECTIONS and non- Alternates undulating -naturalizing shrubs with good solid or mixed autumn smooth margins; color when placed in full sun (Aronia arbutifolia, basal pair of Euonymus alatus, Hydrangea quercifolia, Rhus small blue-green glabra, etc.) auricles (at base -deciduous shrubs ideal for naturalized mass of newly plantings (Cornus racemosa, Ilex verticillata, Kerria emerging stems) japonica, Rhus aromatica, Sambucus canadensis) are not long -deciduous shrubs or trees for wildlife protective persistent; refuge (Crataegus, Photinia villosa, Malus, Lonicera autumn color tatarica, etc.)