Thursday, May 22, 2008

Mohican Viburnum leaves and flower buds

Mohican Viburnum is a hardy native shrub that provides a welcome burst of color in the mid-spring and leathery, dark-green foliage that remain on the shrub's compact boughs well into summer. Some of the sources I've read say this foliage turns in autumn, but I have not seen this on the two I have. They are easy to grow, though they do like a bit of mulch to keep the moisture in, and are supposed to reach about 6' in ideal conditions. There are native gardeners out there who use them as hedges.

Mohican Viburnum provide flat-topped clusters of white flowers in mid-spring and red-orange berries in summer. I've seen bees and other pollinators tend the blossoms, but have never seen anything take the berries, so am not entirely sure of its wildlife value (couldn't find anything on Google or any of my field guides either).

Mohican Virburnum shrub

Tree frogs joined the chorus in the ponds and swamps yesterday; their occasional chatter-like chirp joining the piping of the Spring Peeper, the trill of the American Toad, and the strumming of the Chorus Frog.

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