Practical
Plants

Viburnum japonicum

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
1.8 m
Fertility
self sterile
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[2][5]. The ovoid fruit is about 8mm long and contains a single large seed[7]. Leaves - cooked. A famine food, they are only used when all else fails[6].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Japan, Formosa.
Habitat
In coastal thickets and forests at elevations of 5 - 500 metres[10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Germination can be slow, sometimes taking more than 18 months. If the seed is harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it has fully ripened) and sown immediately in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring[13]. Stored seed will require 2 months warm then 3 months cold stratification and can still take 18 months to germinate[4]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame or greenhouse. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of soft-wood, early summer in a frame[7]. Pot up into individual pots once they start to root and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8 cm long with a heel if possible, July/August in a frame[12][4]. Plant them into individual pots as soon as they start to root. These cuttings can be difficult to overwinter, it is best to keep them in a greenhouse or cold frame until the following spring before planting them out[4]. Cuttings of mature wood, winter in a frame. They should root in early spring - pot them up when large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer if sufficient new growth is made, otherwise keep them in a cold frame for the next winter and then plant them out in the spring. Layering of current seasons growth in July/August. Takes 15 months[12].

Cultivation

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but is ill-adapted for poor soils and for dry situations[1]. It prefers a deep rich loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[3][7]. Requires woodland conditions but without competition from other plants. Best if given shade from the early morning sun in spring[7]. This species is hardy at Kew Botanical Gardens but it prefers a warmer climate[3]. Plants are slow-growing in Britain[8], they probably do best if given a warm position against a sunny wall[8]. Plants are self-incompatible and need to grow close to a genetically distinct plant in the same species in order to produce fruit and fertile seed[3][7]. A foetid smelling plant[11], but the flowers are very fragrant with a jonquil-like scent[8][9]. This species is closely related to V. odoratissimum[1].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  6. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

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  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  8. Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219220-0

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

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  10. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

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  11. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

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  12. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  13. McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6

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