The Florida agriculturist., 1907-12-25
Viburnum Sieboldi.


old-fashioned Snowfall bush of so
many northern gardens. The botanic
al name Of that bush is Viburnum
opulus, var sterilis. There are many
other species Of Viburnums, several
of which are found wild in this state,
and some Of them are quite ornamen-
tai, both in flower and fruit. Mr..
Joseph Meehan, writing to the Flor
lists Exchange, describes an imported
variety which he recommends very
highly. The article was illustrated by
a cut Of the bush, but as we cannot
reproduce it, we leave out his refer
ences to the illustration. His account
is as follows:
We owe much of the attraction of
Our grounds in summer to the many
species Of viburnums Our climate per-
mits us to grow. From all temperate
cllmes v1burnums come, and even
without any foreign sorts we have
enough native species to make an in
teresting display.
A Japanese one, VIburnum Sic
boldi, has the distinction Of being
decidedly dissimilar to any other of
the cultivated sorts. It forms hand
We have a bush, and a good type Of
a bush, too, but the plant is easily
grown as a small tree, should such
be desired. 1t would require that but
one shoot be permitted to grow, when
a tree shape would soon be assumed.
Such specimens are very intresting,
as there is no other hardy tree OF
small or large growth with foliage
like this has. The leaves are very
large, and of plated appearance, quite
unlike those of any other viburnum
or any other shrub. 1t has occurred
to us that this shrub must be Of an
evergreen character where freezings
do not happen, as is the case with
some trees and shrubs, for this vibur-
mum keeps it's leaves Of a perfect
green until they freeze off. There is
never the slightest indication of a
change from green to an autumn
color; instead, no change Of any kind
is observed, and in "a hours, should
a freezing night come, every leaf will
have fallen.
The flowers Of this viburnum come
in large, fiat heads, white, as those
of all the cultivated sorts are, and
looking not unlike the flowers Of the
lauristinus. Following the blossoms
are the berries which change from
green to pink, and from pink to blush
black when ripe, making in foliage,
flower and fruit a series of attrac-
tons throughout the season.
In addition to the type, as described,
there is a variegated leaved variety
of it, but as with many other var1e-
gated leaved plants, it needs watch
ing that the green shoots it is sure
to make do not rob those having the
variegated leaves.
Viburnum Sieboldi has had several
names since it's introduction -retlcu-
latum, Sandankua, Japonicum among
them,-but all appear to have given
way to Sieboldi
One and all of the viburnums are
interesting, and many Of them beautl-
full. This applies not only to their
flowers, but to their fruit as we'll.
Not mentioning now those having
berries that change simply from green
to black, there are several having pink
fruit and some red or scarlet. AS
we write there come to mind in the
pink class, cassinoides, Lantana, and
the one of our subject, Sieboldi That
is to say, at some stage Of their ripen-
ing the color is pink. Then in the
class of red or scarlet there are dill
tatum, opulus, tomentosum, n d
Wrightii, as in the case Of the pink.
ones, showing red at some stage OF
development. Wrightii ends in ri PEN
~ Il. .1oL 0o10