Burkwood Viburnum

(Caprifoliaceae - Honeysuckle Family)

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• Form
  • medium-sized, semi-evergreen, ornamental shrub
  • maturing at about 10' tall by 8' wide
  • upright oval growth habit in youth, becoming more spreading and rounded with age
  • medium growth rate

• Culture
  • full sun to partial shade
  • performs best in full sun in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soils, but it is quite adaptable to poor soils, compacted soils, soils of various pH, heat, drought, and pollution
  • propagated primarily by rooted stem cuttings, but also by seeds
  • Honeysuckle Family, with no significant pest problems, but bacterial leaf spot and powdery mildew are occasional cosmetic foliage diseases
  • commonly available in ball and burlap form

• Foliage
  • dark green above and paler green below, semi-evergreen, opposite, elliptical to ovate, having sparsely serrated margins, and borne on a short petiole
  • upper leaf surfaces are dull-shiny during leaf expansion, and then relatively glossy at full leaf expansion, with small goosebump-like projections, each terminating in a sparse pubescence
  • fall color is often poor, being a mixture of green, chartreuse, and other faded colors that are ornamentally ineffective

• Flowers
  • red or pink buds open to white flowers tinged with pink, in mid-April, as slightly hemispherical inflorescences to 2.5" in diameter, being very fragrant and effective for two weeks

• Fruits
  • clusters of fruit change from green to red to black by early Autumn, with each small fruit being broadly elliptical but distinctly flattened, usually sparsely borne along the fruiting stalk due to poor cross-pollination, nearly hidden by the foliage, and ornamentally insignificant

• Twigs
  • twigs are tan and pubescent, relatively thin, and becoming densely branching with age, with buds that are naked (i.e., without true scales)
  • the prominent terminal floral buds are knobby and obvious in Winter, while the vegetative buds are terminal or lateral and elongated

• Trunk
  • mature bark is gray-brown and fissuring on the generally upright trunks, which are interspersed with young tan suckers that often arise from within the woody clump

• ID Summary
  • sparsely pubescent leaves are shiny dark green above and paler white-green below, borne in opposite fashion on pubescent tan stems, staying on the stems throughout much of Autumn and slowly starting to abscise in late November
  • flowers combine into shallowly hemispherical, very fragrant inflorescences that are red to dark pink in bud but white in flower, in mid-April, borne profusely on mature shrubs that are sited in sunny spots

• Function
  • formal or informal hedge, border, entranceway, foundation, specimen, or group planting shrub

• Texture
  • medium texture in foliage and when semi-evergreen
  • medium density in foliage and when semi-evergreen

• Assets
  • semi-evergreen shiny foliage
  • fragrant April flowers
  • urban tolerant (including heat, drought, and adaptability to poor soils)

• Liabilities
  • occasional leaf spot or powdery mildew are minor cosmetic foliage diseases

• Habitat
  • zones 4 to 8
  • both parents (Koreanspice Viburnum, from Korea/Japan, and Service Viburnum, from China) are native to the Orient

• Alternates
  • broadleaf semi-evergreen to evergreen shrubs (Myrica pennsylvanica, Rhododendron, Viburnum x pragense, Viburnum x rhytidophylloides, etc.)
  • fragrant-flowering shrubs (Clethra alnifolia, Itea virginica, Philadelphus species, Syringa species, Viburnum carlesii, Viburnum x juddii, etc.)

• Variants
  • Viburnum x burkwoodii 'Chenaultii' - fall foliage is bronzed, and inflorescences flower profusely one week later than the normal hybrid; sometimes alternatively listed as a separate hybrid of the genus
  • Viburnum x burkwoodii 'Mohawk' - fall color is better, being a mixture of green-orange-red hues or a solid burgandy color, and also having dark red floral buds that are delayed in opening (and thus extending the effective bloom period in Spring); to 6' tall by 6' wide, being more compact than the normal hybrid; the cultivar of choice

• Translation
  • Viburnum is the classical Latin name for Wayfaringtree Viburnum.
  • x indicates that this plant is a hybrid, specifically between Koreanspice Viburnum (Viburnum carlesii,for its showy fragrant inflorescences) and Service Viburnum (Viburnum utile, for its evergreen foliage)
  • burkwoodii is named for Albert Burkwood, the co-developer of the hybrid with Geoffrey Skipwith in early 20th century England.

• Purpose
  • Burkwood Viburnum is one of the best all-around Viburnums for its combination of fragrant inflorescences, glossy Summer foliage, upright to rounded growth habit, and urban tolerance.

• Summary
  • Viburnum x burkwoodii is known for its glossy, dark green, semievergreen foliage, fragrant pink-budded to floral-white April inflorescences, and its tough and adaptable character.