Common Name: Smooth Withe Rod

General Information

Viburnum nudum is an erect, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that can grow up to 3 metres tall[, 200 352].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eastern N. America - New York, south to Texas and Florida

Habitat

Wooded swamps, wet pinelands and bogs[]. Also found on rich hillsides[].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Viburnum nudum is a very hardy plant, able to tolerate winter temperatures falling to -20°c.
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 often grow in quite acid soils in the wild[].
The flowers are aromatic[].
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[, ].
This species is closely related to Vibunum cassinoides[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, ]. Highly acidic but edible[]. It usually has a sweetish flavour[, ] but is sometimes bitter[] and is usually unpalatable[]. The ovoid fruit is about 8mm long and contains a single large seed[].

Medicinal

A tea made from the bark is antispasmodic, diuretic, tonic and uterine sedative[].

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[].