Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
whaas_5a

Best pollinator for Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum

whaas_5a
12 years ago

I had one at my previous home and I'm not sure if V. prunifolium, V. lantana 'Mohican' or V. carlesii was the cross pollinator.

I'm hoping for something new but I wouldn't mind a V. carlesii or V. prunifolium again as they at least provide fall color.

Comments (8)

  • dutchess12545
    12 years ago

    Well.....I'm no expert, but I think you need another variety of Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum or a variety of a closely related species. I don't believe lantana or prunifolium are closely related to plicatum. Certainly, there are many varirties of plicatum var. tomentosum available.
    Some include Shasta, Mariesi,Pink Beauty, Rowallane, Shoshoni, Summer Snowflake, Igloo, Lanarth. If you were getting good fruit set before, perhaps there was a pollinator in the area or perhaps plicatum var. tomentosum will set some fruit without a pollinator. Sorry I can't be more definitive.
    ....................Dutchess12545

  • viburnumvalley
    12 years ago

    Ditto to what the dutchess said...

    Around the Valley, none of the other species mentioned even overlap in bloom time with Doublefile Viburnum, and they are not the species I'd expect to cross-pollinate either.

    I'd plant a couple of the clones mentioned above, and then stand back and enjoy the show.

  • whaas_5a
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I actually had 'Pink Beauty' and it set fruit...I'm trying to think of the blooming times but I can't be certain what may have overlapped.

    I'll try a 'Summer Snowflake' and see what happens. They are pretty easy to get.

  • viburnumvalley
    12 years ago

    "It set fruit."

    Viburnums can do that when planted alone. That you are seeking a pollinator tells me (somewhat surreptitiously) that you expect more from the plant.

    Did you photograph this previous plant while in fruit? Do you think any neighbors might have had a Doublefile Viburnum that was giving you an assist?

    'Summer Snowflake' is a fun plant, behaving much differently than most of the rest of the regularly available Doublefile Viburnum clones. It is a narrow upright habit plant with repeat blooming capability, albeit each flower head is a bit smaller than the standard clones. I haven't seen it set fruit much, and that's probably due to it generally being planted alone or in groups of itself. I don't have it here - which prompts me to start hunting one up.

    Doublefiles are just so darn unappreciative of the Valley's ghastly dry hot humid summers. It is no wonder I currently have but a handful:

    'Shasta', 'Shoshoni', 'Mary Milton', 'Popcorn', 'Newport', 'Lanarth', 'West Olive', and 'Pink Beauty'

    I've killed a few more, and the 2007 Easter freeze vanquished many others.

    By the way: did your 'Pink Beauty' actually bloom pink? Mine is always white, and I'm assuming I received a mislabeled drone common species Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum.

  • whaas_5a
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    There where so few plants planted by the neighbors you could identify everything they had. I only spotted V. carlesii.

    'Pink Beauty' set a small crop, nothing too spectacular. Fruit started as clusters of red and turned black fairly quickly from what I recall. It also bloomed white, not pink. I never understood that.

    It was locally grown as a b&b plant. I checked for pics and I'm surprised I didn't have any, just fall color from afar.

  • Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
    12 years ago

    Viburnumvalley, my pink beauty blooms white. It's still a beautiful, pleasing shrub and the berries are great but it would be nice to get just a slight pink in the flowers! After a number of years I've realized it is not to be.

  • charlesinsc
    12 years ago

    I am trying to find a source for Lanarth. Does anyone know of a vendor?

  • kevin_5
    12 years ago

    whaas--if you ever get down to Chicago suburbs, I could load you up with Viburnum plicatum tomentosum to pollinate your plant.

    For Lanarth--try Classic Viburnums