Common Name:

General Information

Viburnum erubescens is a deciduous shrub or small tree that can grow up to 6 metres tall[]. The plant can retain its leaves in mild winters[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - southern and central China, northern India, Nepal, northern Myanmar

Habitat

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

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Viburnum erubescens can vary in hardiness depending on the provenance it was obtained from. Some forms can tolerate winter temperatures falling to below -10°c, though some other forms are intolerant of more than a few degrees of frost[].
An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but is ill-adapted for poor soils and for dry situations[]. It prefers a deep rich loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[, ]. Best if given shade from the early morning sun in spring[].
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[, ].
The flowers are deliciously scented[].
A polymorphic species[]. The sub-species Viburnum erubescens gracilipes. Rehder fruits freely in Britain[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. A sweet flavour but there is very little flesh in relation to the size of the single large seed[].

Medicinal

The juice of the roots is used in the treatment of coughs[].

Other Uses

Wood - soft to hard, close and even grained. The wood is hardest in the cooler parts of its range, the Himalayan form is a possible Boxwood (Buxus spp) substitute[].

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[].