This showy, multistemmed shrub or small tree is not only a showstopper all year long, but it's also easy to grow and is bothered by very few pests or diseases. It grows slowly to a height of 18 to 25 feet with branches that droop slightly, giving the shrub an irregular, vase-shaped crown. In spring, rounded clusters of small, creamy-white flowers put on a show, followed by bluish-black fruits that ripen with a flavor similar to that of raisins. Extremely glossy, green leaves provide excellent fall colors in hues of red, purple, pink, and orange. The descriptive common name refers to the rusty-brown hairs on the undersides of leaves, buds, and stems and also to the "rusty" appearance of the prominent winter buds. Once the leaves drop in winter, the branching structure and alligator-barked trunk of mature plants is revealed.
Rusty blackhaw viburnum is found throughout the northern and eastern US. It's common in Ohio, especially in the southern range. It tends to prefer drier soils, but it adapts to a wide range of growing conditions. It flourishes in dry to moist, well-drained soils ranging from loam to clay and is drought tolerant once established. In the wild, it's often found as an understory, where it receives enough light to flower and fruit. Although it grows well in full sun, it becomes more twiggy and produces many suckers. In full shade, it develops a more open habit and produces fewer flowers and fruits.
Native bees are important pollinators for viburnums. According to horticulturalist Scotty Woodbury, bees overwinter as eggs in nearby previous-year plant stems. Remarkably, the bees hatch at the same time the perennial flowers emerge, just as they have done for millions of years. Native viburnums are one of the spring-blooming plants that are essential nectar producers for the hatching bees. To encourage native bees in your garden, cut perennials (not the viburnum) about 10 to 12 inches from the ground every late winter and leave the short stems for the nesting bees.
By April, new leaves will grow up to hide the old stems, and the ancient cycle will continue.
Native habitats include open woodlands; banks of streams and rivers; dry, rocky woods; and thickets. Use as a hedge, in shrub borders, and in naturalized areas. It has a low flammability rating, so it's ideal for sitings near buildings. Because of its height, it's especially suited for urban areas and sites under power lines.
Plant Characteristics:
Grows slowly 18-25' tall and wide.
Grows in full sun to full shade with less flowering/fruiting and a more open habit in shade.
Prefers drier, well-drained soils, incuding sand, loam, and clay.
Flowers bloom in rounded or flattened clusters up to 4 inches across from March until May. Individual flowers are 1/4 to 3/8" wide. Dark blue, fleshy fruits with a waxy coating are up to 1/2" long, slightly longer than wide.
Simple, obovate, opposite leaves are 2-4" long with finely serrated margins.
Thin, brown bark forms rectangular chunks on mature plants. No thorns.
Reproductive System: Female and male parts are on the same plant (monoecious), but most native viburnums are self-incompatible and require cross-pollination for good fruit production. Two genetically different plants of the same species should be planted within 50 to 100 feet of each other.
Wildlife Value:
Host plant for 101 species of Lepidoptera larvae, including spring and summer azure butterflies, the green marvel moth, and specialist brown scoopwing moth. Bees, butterflies, and other insects visit for nectar. Birds and mammals consume the fruits. Viburnums are somewhat deer resistant.
Medicinal, Edible, and Other Uses:
The bark is antispasmodic and has been used in the treatment of cramps and colic.
Fruits transition from light blue to rose before turning dark purple when ready to eat. They become sweeter the longer they stay on the plant. When ripe, they are sweet and a littly mealy or grainy textured due to the many seeds. They are eaten raw or cooked and are often made into preserves.
Resources:
Ecoblog: https://www.ecobeneficial.com/2018/12/native-viburnums-and-cross-pollination-what-the-nursery-isnt-telling-you/
Farm Progress: https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-life/rusty-blackhaw-a-tree-for-all-seasons
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=viru
North Carolina Extension: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/viburnum-rufidulum/
Plants for a Future: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Viburnum+rufidulum
US Forest Service: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/VIBRUFA.pdf
Viburnum, Blackhaw, Rusty, Viburnum rufidulum
We will receive our bare root order from a partner nursery in Michigan in late March. Orders placed now will be reserved for pickup starting when we open April 3.