Viburnum japonicum
Family: Adoxaceae
What it is like
Viburnum japonicum is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1.8 m (6ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in leaf all year, in flower in June. 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): 1.8
Where it is found
In coastal thickets and forests at elevations of 5 - 500 metres.
E. Asia - Japan, Formosa.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Fruit - raw or cooked. The ovoid fruit is about 8mm long and contains a single large seed. Leaves - cooked. A famine food, they are only used when all else fails.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
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. Requires woodland conditions but without competition from other plants. Best if given shade from the early morning sun in spring. This species is hardy at Kew Botanical Gardens but it prefers a warmer climate. Plants are slow-growing in Britain, they probably do best if given a warm position against a sunny wall. 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. A foetid smelling plant, but the flowers are very fragrant with a jonquil-like scent. This species is closely related to V. odoratissimum.
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 Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 6-9
Growth: Slow
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist