Viburnum x rhytidophylloides is a large shrub known for its upright growth habit, leathery, semi-evergreen, dense foliage, utilitarian usage, medium, yet vigorous, growth rate, and urban tolerance.
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F E A T U R E S |
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Form
-large, semi-evergreen, broad-leaved ornamental shrub or foliage shrub
-maturing at about 12' tall x 12' wide, although sometimes larger
-upright columnar growth habit in youth, becoming more rounded and spreading with age
-medium to rapid growth rate |
Foliage
-dark green above while much paler white-green beneath, being semi-evergreen, leathery, thick, and having a rough texture with sunken veins above, with prominently large veins beneath that have a reticulate branching pattern
-leaves are opposite, narrowly ovate to oblong, lightly serrated or entire, with an acute apex and cuneate to cordate base above a thick petiole, about 3-4 times as long as they are wide, and often in a tattered and ragged semi-evergreen state by early winter
-autumn color is dark green and slowly absiscing, with the foliage remnants becoming wind burned and a very unnattractive brown-green during the winter |
Flowers
-green-cream, creamy-white, or cream-brown (due to damage by late frosts) flat-topped inflorescences occur up to 4" in diameter, in late Apr. and early May, being present for about 2 weeks but not showy in spite of their large size
-floral buds are set by mid-summer (as are most shrubs) and may sporadically open in late summer and early autumn |
Fruit
-at first green, then transitioning to red, red-orange, or red-yellow by mid-summer, then maturing to black in late Aug. and early Sept.
-often sparse or non-existent |
Twig
-emerging green-white, stout, and strongly scurfy-pubescent, but changing to a noticeable orange-brown by winter
-winter buds are large; floral buds are prominent terminal knobs, while vegetative buds are naked and much elongated, with terminal vegetative buds much larger than the lateral buds |
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Trunk
-strongly multi-stemmed to multi-trunked, bold-textured, and very stout, with heavy branches only slightly arching with age, and old leggy trunks being supplemented with rapidly-growing basal suckers with age |
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C U L T
U R E
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Culture
-full sun to partial shade
-adaptable to poor soils, compacted soils, soils of various pH, dry soils, drought, pollution, and heat
-propagated by rooted stem cuttings
-Honeysuckle Family, with no serious pest or disease problems, except for occasional cosmetic leaf spot
-commonly available in B&B form |
Hardiness
-zones 4 to 8
Origin
-parents of this hybrid are Wayfaringtree Viburnum (Viburnum lantana, native to Eurasia) and Leatherleaf Viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophyllum, native to China)
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U S A G E |
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Assets
-outstanding summer foliage (leathery, dense, and dark green)
-striking bold texture (best displayed when in summer foliage)
-urban tolerant, with vigorous growth
-semi-showy green-white flowers in spring
Liabilities
-semi-evergreen foliage is tattered, wind burned, and unattractive throughout much of the winter
-easily gets out-of-bounds due to its vigorous growth
legginess with age, in part hidden by the basal suckers
-inflorescences may sporadically open in summer or early autumn (some consider this an asset) |
Function
-formal or informal hedge, border, entranceway, spacious foundation, utilitarian, or deciduous screen shrub, being the boldest-textured Viburnum
Texture
-bold texture when in foliage, semi-evergreen, or nearly deciduous
-thick density in foliage but average density otherwise |
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S E L
E C T I 0 N S |
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Varieties
and Cultivars
- Search
OSU PlantFacts for additional plants in this species
Alternates
-bold-textured shrubs noted for their dense and relatively large foliage (Hydrangea quercifolia, Viburnum lantana, etc.)
-utilitarian shrubs that are deciduous (Rhamnus frangula 'Columnaris', Viburnum lantana, etc.) or evergreen (Juniperus chinensis 'Spearmint', Taxus x media 'Hicksii', Thuja occidentalis 'Nigra', etc.) |