This is a most polymorphic species, perhaps including many geographic races[].

Common Name:

General Information

Viburnum betulifolium is a deciduous shrub or small tree, usually growing up to 5 metres tall, occasionally to 7 metres[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - Eastern to Central and Western China

Habitat

Forests and scrub; at elevations from 1,300 - 3,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but is ill-adapted for poor soils and for dry situations[]. It dislikes chalky soils[]. Prefers a deep rich loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[, ]. Best if given shade from the early morning sun in spring[].
There is a form of this plant growng in Trewithen Gardens in Cornwall (and known as 'Trewithen') that produces very large crops of fruit each year that hang well on the plant[, ].
A very variable species, the fruit size and flavour can vary widely between different forms[, ].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit is rather acid when it first ripens, but hangs well on the plant through the winter. We have eaten it in late spring when it has become quite acceptable for raw eating, having by then attained a mild flavour[]. The subglobose fruit matures red, it is around 6mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

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[]. Stored seed will require 2 months warm then 3 months cold stratification and can still take 18 months to germinate[]. 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[]. 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, mid summer in a frame[, ]. 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[].
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 mid summer. Takes 15 months[].