Re: Viburnums/aronia

> This question just came up on a "wildgarden" list I belong to.  Besides
> vibrunum carlesii and bodnantense (neither which produce berries) I grow
> viburnum opulus compactum (gorgeous, translucent red berries) and viburnum
> 'Xanthocarpum' (same thing, but translucent golden yellow berries).  The
> birds don't touch these berries.  They're still hanging there today from
> last fall!  They are wonderful in fall arrangements/wreaths, though.
>
> Viburnum trilobum is supposed to be "wonderful" for bird berries, but people
> on the list that have whole hedges of them said the birds don't touch them.
> We were wondering who instigated the false information way back when!

V. carlesii does in fact produce berries!!!  (sorry, I'm a little 
exciteable :)

They start out as a bright red, then fade to black and usually don't
last past September.  For a picture, look at

   http://www.mallorn.com/pom/Apr98/

According to Hightshoe, most of the native Viburnums have high wildlife
value for songbirds and gamebirds (including V. trilobum, which waxwings
are said to devour).  I've also seen birds go to town on V. carlesii 
and  its cousins (V. x juddii, V. x carlecphalum, etc.).

> If you want a beautiful shrub that the birds will adore (thrushes,
> particularly, or robins), its Aronia arbutifolia (I think)
> 'Brilliantissima.'  

This is a wonderful plant.  I took several cuttings a few springs
back before the U of I campus tore out a huge planting around a parking
lot, and they've all done quite well.  In three years the plant has
grown about two feet and has always flowered and fruited faithfully.

We featured its close relative, Aronia melanocarpa, as a plant of the
month back in December of 1997:

   http://www.mallorn.com/pom/Dec97/

Chris

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