Southern Black Haw, Rusty blackhaw
Viburnum rufidulum

Family: Adoxaceae

What it is like

Viburnum rufidulum is a deciduous Shrub growing to 12 m (39ft 4in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower in June, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 12

Where it is found

Moist woods and thickets. By the sides of streams, hillsides, roadsides, woodland margins and clearings. Also found in dry upland woods.

Southern N. America - Virginia to Florida, west to Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fleshy fruit has a sweet taste, somewhat like raisins, but it is nearly all seed. The taste is best after a frost. The ellipsoid fruit is up to 15mm long and contains a single large seed.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The bark is antispasmodic and has been used in the treatment of cramps and colic.

Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.

Other

Rating:

Wood - fine-grained, heavy, hard, strong, with a disagreeable odour. Of no particular value.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

How it is grown

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but is ill-adapted for poor soils and for dry situations. It prefers a deep rich loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Best if given shade from the early morning sun in spring. A fast-growing but short-lived species in the wild. Plants grow well but do not flower very freely in Britain. Plants are self-incompatible and need to grow close to a genetically distinct plant in the same species in order to produce fruit and fertile seed.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Germination can be slow, sometimes taking more than 18 months. If the seed is harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it has fully ripened) and sown immediately in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring. Stored seed will require 2 months warm then 3 months cold stratification and can still take 18 months to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame or greenhouse. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of soft-wood, early summer in a frame. Pot up into individual pots once they start to root and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8 cm long with a heel if possible, July/August in a frame. Plant them into individual pots as soon as they start to root. These cuttings can be difficult to overwinter, it is best to keep them in a greenhouse or cold frame until the following spring before planting them out. Cuttings of mature wood, winter in a frame. They should root in early spring - pot them up when large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer if sufficient new growth is made, otherwise keep them in a cold frame for the next winter and then plant them out in the spring. Layering of current seasons growth in July/August. Takes 15 months.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Secondary; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

V. prunifolium ferrugineum. V. rufotomentosum.