Well I went to the Virginia Living Museum’s Fall Plant Sale yesterday. They have these sales in the spring, summer & fall each year. They had 80 different types of perennials (which included ferns, grasses & vines. In addition they also had 18 types of shrubs and trees. They have them separated by sun, shade, dry & moist locations. I am trying to add more Native species to my garden each year to attract wildlife & for drought tolerance. Native species adapt better to the climate in which you live. This fall I was particularly interested in adding some native shrubs to my garden. They had several I was interested in but I decided on the Viburnum nudum ‘Winterthur’. I was attracted to the berries that deepen to a dark blue in the fall. In the spring it gets large clusters of white flowers and the foliage turns a deep maroon color in the fall. Another bonus for me was the songbirds and butterflies it is said to attract to the garden. I’m trying to replace my abudance of Nandina domestica with some native species that are beneficial to the wildlife that visit my garden each year. These should make for some year round interest in the fountain garden. The flowers and later berries will add some much needed color to this color of my yard. Here are the two Viburnums I selected:
Some facts on these shrubs include:
- Hardy in zones 5-9
- Deciduous shrub
- Height about 6 ft in cultivation
- Blooms April – May
- Blooms are White clusters
- Full sun to part shade
- Medium water needs
- Low maintenance
- Prune lightly in fall if needed
- Berries change from pink to deep pink to blue to black
- No pests or disease problems noted
