Sweet Viburnum #194:
Tree Guide:
https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zFDBt15oTJO4.kQSKLJkNTJMo
Scientific Name: Viburnum odoratissimum
Angiosperm or Gymnosperm: Angiosperm
Natural Habitat: Native to Asia but is often planted in the southern United States and other subtropical areas.
Leaf Pattern: Large, glossy, leathery, simple leaves that vary from bright to dark green depending on the individual plant and its setting. The elliptic leaves have small serrations along their edges and average 4 to 8 inches long. Leaf venation: Pinnate.
Germination Process: Seeds generally germinate slowly in cooler conditions such as in the spring. Seeds should be sown into well-drained, sandy soil at any time of the year, and covered thinly with sand or grit.
Type of Seed: Tiny berries that turn from red to black. It can also get quite large and older trees do fruit.
Pollination and Spreading: Produces round red and black fruit that attract birds which help spreading process. Not self-pollinating and will require another variety of Viburnum to cross-pollinate with and yield fruit. It will fruit best with a pollinating partner plant that is not identical.
Fellow Animals and Plants in Habitat: In the spring, large clusters of fragrant, tiny white flowers each less than an inch long attract butterflies. Tiny red berries follow the flowers and turn black as they mature. Birds are frequently attracted to the berries when they are ripe.
Type of Bark: No thorns, thin and easily damaged from mechanical impact, routinely grown with multiple trunks, grows mostly upright and will not droop, and is not particularly showy.
Ethnobotany: Humans commonly use this tree for landscaping due to its rapid growth rate, size, flowers, and berries. The bark and leaves were also used by Native Americans in the preparation of herbal medicines.
Current Research on Tree: The academic journal, "Posttransplant Irrigation Frequency Affects Growth of Container-grown Sweet Viburnum in Three Hardiness Zones" written in 2009 found, "The survival and quality of shrubs planted in the landscape from containers is dependent on irrigation to ensure the development of a healthy root system." The study determined the effect irrigation had on a Sweet Viburnum's survival, quality, canopy growth index, root to canopy spread ratio, and dry root and shoot biomass planted in three different hardiness zones in Florida. Another article from 2007, "Nitrogen Uptake and Allocation in Sweet Viburnum During a Root Growth Flush," claims that although most root growth is seasonal, the absorption of ammonium nitrate had an effect on a Sweet Viburnum's root elongation rate. This study found that Sweet Viburnum trees with low root elongation rates absorbed more ammonium nitrate compared to those with high root elongation rates. Lastly the article written in 2007, "Irrigation Affects Landscape Establishment of Burford Holly, Pittosporum, and Sweet Viburnum," performed a study of how different trees, including the Sweet Viburnum, would react to different water levels. The Pittosporum and Sweet Viburnum, irrigated every 7 days had higher cumulative water stress levels than normal. The article goes on to explain that leaf area, shoot dry weight, and total biomass also increased.
References:
Cartwright, R. (2013, October 20). What is a Sweet Viburnum?. wiseGEEK. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-a-sweet-viburnum.htm#didyouknowout
Schutte, J. H. (n.d.). Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki. Learn2Grow. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.learn2grow.com/plants/viburnum-odoratissimum-var-awabuki/
Shober, Amy L.; Moore, Kimberly A.; Wiese, Christine; Scheiber, S. Michele; Gilman, Edward F.; Paz, Maria; Brennan, Meghan M.; Vyapari, Sudeep. Posttransplant Irrigation Frequency Affects Growth of Container-grown Sweet Viburnum in Three Hardiness Zones. HortScience. October 2009, Vol. 44 Issue 6, p1683-1687. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
Schoene, Gisele; Yeager, Thomas. Nitrogen Uptake and Allocation in Sweet Viburnum During a Root Growth Flush. Journal of Plant Nutrition. March 2007, Vol. 30 Issue 3, p487-496. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
Scheiber, S. M.; Gilman, E. F.; Paz, M.; Moore, K. A. Irrigation Affects Landscape Establishment of Burford Holly, Pittosporum, and Sweet Viburnum. HortScience. April 2007, Vol. 42 Issue 2, p344-348. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
Essay:
Sitting underneath this large shrub that is known for its shiny, oval, leathery, simple evergreen leaves, its highly fragrant flowers remind me of the fresh breeze of springtime and brings back memories of my childhood. Originally from Asia, the Sweet Viburnum's white, waxy flowers grow in clusters and are followed by berries that turn from an orange color to red and finally black. The berry clusters hang downward, due to their weight, and are very attractive to birds. The Sweet Viburnum's bark does not contain thorns and grows rapidly upright without drooping. Although its bark is smooth and durable, it is not meant for climbing, which was what I enjoyed most about trees as a child. The Sweet Viburnum is commonly planted for landscaping; often reaching it's maximum height between 25 and 30 feet.
While positioned upright against the trunk of this Sweet Viburnum, I remise back to playing with my younger brother in my grandparent’s backyard located in Portland, Oregon. Their vast, extensive, nature-filled backyard contained several different trees and shrubs and I am curious now as to if any of those trees were Sweet Viburnums. My brother and I would explore their backyard on a sunny day and play hide-and-go-seek by running, climbing, and hiding behind the many trees and bushes. It was our favorite game to spend time outdoors playing in such a wild and woodsy environment. And because it is often used for landscaping, the Sweet Viburnum could very well have been included in my grandparent’s backyard.
Tree Guide:
https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zFDBt15oTJO4.kQSKLJkNTJMo
Scientific Name: Viburnum odoratissimum
Angiosperm or Gymnosperm: Angiosperm
Natural Habitat: Native to Asia but is often planted in the southern United States and other subtropical areas.
Leaf Pattern: Large, glossy, leathery, simple leaves that vary from bright to dark green depending on the individual plant and its setting. The elliptic leaves have small serrations along their edges and average 4 to 8 inches long. Leaf venation: Pinnate.
Germination Process: Seeds generally germinate slowly in cooler conditions such as in the spring. Seeds should be sown into well-drained, sandy soil at any time of the year, and covered thinly with sand or grit.
Type of Seed: Tiny berries that turn from red to black. It can also get quite large and older trees do fruit.
Pollination and Spreading: Produces round red and black fruit that attract birds which help spreading process. Not self-pollinating and will require another variety of Viburnum to cross-pollinate with and yield fruit. It will fruit best with a pollinating partner plant that is not identical.
Fellow Animals and Plants in Habitat: In the spring, large clusters of fragrant, tiny white flowers each less than an inch long attract butterflies. Tiny red berries follow the flowers and turn black as they mature. Birds are frequently attracted to the berries when they are ripe.
Type of Bark: No thorns, thin and easily damaged from mechanical impact, routinely grown with multiple trunks, grows mostly upright and will not droop, and is not particularly showy.
Ethnobotany: Humans commonly use this tree for landscaping due to its rapid growth rate, size, flowers, and berries. The bark and leaves were also used by Native Americans in the preparation of herbal medicines.
Current Research on Tree: The academic journal, "Posttransplant Irrigation Frequency Affects Growth of Container-grown Sweet Viburnum in Three Hardiness Zones" written in 2009 found, "The survival and quality of shrubs planted in the landscape from containers is dependent on irrigation to ensure the development of a healthy root system." The study determined the effect irrigation had on a Sweet Viburnum's survival, quality, canopy growth index, root to canopy spread ratio, and dry root and shoot biomass planted in three different hardiness zones in Florida. Another article from 2007, "Nitrogen Uptake and Allocation in Sweet Viburnum During a Root Growth Flush," claims that although most root growth is seasonal, the absorption of ammonium nitrate had an effect on a Sweet Viburnum's root elongation rate. This study found that Sweet Viburnum trees with low root elongation rates absorbed more ammonium nitrate compared to those with high root elongation rates. Lastly the article written in 2007, "Irrigation Affects Landscape Establishment of Burford Holly, Pittosporum, and Sweet Viburnum," performed a study of how different trees, including the Sweet Viburnum, would react to different water levels. The Pittosporum and Sweet Viburnum, irrigated every 7 days had higher cumulative water stress levels than normal. The article goes on to explain that leaf area, shoot dry weight, and total biomass also increased.
References:
Cartwright, R. (2013, October 20). What is a Sweet Viburnum?. wiseGEEK. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-a-sweet-viburnum.htm#didyouknowout
Schutte, J. H. (n.d.). Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki. Learn2Grow. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.learn2grow.com/plants/viburnum-odoratissimum-var-awabuki/
Shober, Amy L.; Moore, Kimberly A.; Wiese, Christine; Scheiber, S. Michele; Gilman, Edward F.; Paz, Maria; Brennan, Meghan M.; Vyapari, Sudeep. Posttransplant Irrigation Frequency Affects Growth of Container-grown Sweet Viburnum in Three Hardiness Zones. HortScience. October 2009, Vol. 44 Issue 6, p1683-1687. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
Schoene, Gisele; Yeager, Thomas. Nitrogen Uptake and Allocation in Sweet Viburnum During a Root Growth Flush. Journal of Plant Nutrition. March 2007, Vol. 30 Issue 3, p487-496. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
Scheiber, S. M.; Gilman, E. F.; Paz, M.; Moore, K. A. Irrigation Affects Landscape Establishment of Burford Holly, Pittosporum, and Sweet Viburnum. HortScience. April 2007, Vol. 42 Issue 2, p344-348. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
Essay:
Sitting underneath this large shrub that is known for its shiny, oval, leathery, simple evergreen leaves, its highly fragrant flowers remind me of the fresh breeze of springtime and brings back memories of my childhood. Originally from Asia, the Sweet Viburnum's white, waxy flowers grow in clusters and are followed by berries that turn from an orange color to red and finally black. The berry clusters hang downward, due to their weight, and are very attractive to birds. The Sweet Viburnum's bark does not contain thorns and grows rapidly upright without drooping. Although its bark is smooth and durable, it is not meant for climbing, which was what I enjoyed most about trees as a child. The Sweet Viburnum is commonly planted for landscaping; often reaching it's maximum height between 25 and 30 feet.
While positioned upright against the trunk of this Sweet Viburnum, I remise back to playing with my younger brother in my grandparent’s backyard located in Portland, Oregon. Their vast, extensive, nature-filled backyard contained several different trees and shrubs and I am curious now as to if any of those trees were Sweet Viburnums. My brother and I would explore their backyard on a sunny day and play hide-and-go-seek by running, climbing, and hiding behind the many trees and bushes. It was our favorite game to spend time outdoors playing in such a wild and woodsy environment. And because it is often used for landscaping, the Sweet Viburnum could very well have been included in my grandparent’s backyard.
