Flowering Shrubs: Hobblebush

Quite a few people have probably heard of viburnums. These gorgeous shrubs offer year-round interest with great foliage, wonderful flowers, and colorful berries. Most varieties are also fragrant. In fact, viburnums, interestingly, belong to the same family of plants as the honeysuckle (Caprifoliaceae). Different varieties bloom at different times, and there is at least one variety that can be found blooming during every month of the year. More popular varieties include V. davidii, with female plants having turquoise-blue berries, and V. carlesii that produces whitish-pink vanilla-scented floral clusters in the spring. There is another variety of viburnum, however, that is rather rare. This one is V. lantanoides, commonly called hobblebush.

Hobblebush (also sometimes called witch-hobble and moosewood) derives its name from the 6-12-foot-long branches that will drop down and take root in the ground. These then often trip -- or hobble -- people walking by the bush. It is a native of the eastern portion of the United States and Canada, from Georgia to the Maritimes and westward into Michigan. It is typically found in moist, acidic forests, as well as, along the banks of streams and swamps. It branches out similar to a dogwood and has 10-inch rounded or heart-shaped leaves with distinctive veins and saw-toothed edges. Clusters of white blooms appear in the early spring. The larger outer edges of the flower clusters are sterile, with the smaller inner blooms being both male and female. Each flat-topped cluster of blooms is 2-6 inches wide and fragrant. As fall approaches, the leaves turn from red to gold. At this same time, clusters of bright red berries, which eventually turn to an almost black-color, also appear to give the landscape some great fall color. In addition, this shrub provides wildlife with food, such as songbirds, which eat the fruit.

Viburnums prefer rich well-drained soil. Before planting, you should prepare the area a few weeks in advance by working lots of organic material into the planting space. Lighter soils will need to be well-mulched in order to keep the roots cool. To guarantee that your hobblebush thrives and blooms well if you live in more northern areas of the plant's range, you should plant it in an area where it gets sunlight for at least half of the day; however, you should also choose an area where it is protected from cold winter winds. (In the more southern regions, such as Tennessee and Georgia where the summers are much hotter, the hobblebush can handle quite a bit more shade.) In the spring and midsummer, fertilize with either a balanced fertilizer or other such nutrients as chicken pellets or fish, blood, and bone meal. If you are experiencing a particularly cold spring, you can help foliage growth by giving your hobblebush a high-potash fertilizer about once every two weeks. Bushes that are planted during hot, dry weather should be watered frequently until they are well-established.

Viburnums can make quite a statement in the landscape, and the rare hobblebush is no exception. It is definitely a shrub well worth cultivating.

References:

Scarlett, Kay, pub. The Complete Garden Flower Book. London, England: Murdoch Books UK Ltd., 2001.

eNature.com: Hobblebush Viburnum lantanoides

Eastern Plant Specialties: Hobblebush Viburnum

Wikipedia: Viburnum lantanoides