1) I think you are right with the Blue Muffin, Chicago Lustre, and Autumn Jazz being cross pollinators. I guess bloom time is the only question. Will all of them be grown in the same sun conditions? I planted 2 BM's this spring. They flowered and one has just a few maturing berries. At some point I would not mind adding a pollinator (though my wife is not a big fan of berries...with the kids).

2) I planted a 4 Juddii's last fall. At one point somebody said that they are not known to be good fruiters so I should be happy with their flowers, fragrance and fall color. I am! Note that these bloom very early in the year, before the foliage appears if I remember properly.

3) Yea, it does not seem that the cross pollination is a big thing outside of this forum. It might just be that the qualities such as flower and fall color are big enough selling points that retailers don't worry about the berry production.

Maybe somebody with more than 9 months of experience with Viburnums will come along to verify things.

- Brent

Thank you for your response. Blue Muffins and CL or AJ will be grouped together and will get the same amount of sun.

I could ask my landscaper to pick up a compact Carlesii instead of a Juddii if it would fruit better...

But speaking of fruit, are viburnum berries poisonous?!

Thanks!
Rachel

Viburnum fruit are quite edible (at least the ones that can be grown in the midwest that I've consumed) though they aren't all very tasty. Birds will most likely clean up all the arrowwood fruit soon after they ripen, so worrying about kids/fruit shouldn't be a problem.

Rachel: get a compact V. carlesii in addition to the V. x juddii, and you should have appropriate partners for future fruiting.

As far as what people should know: I've been a horticulturist about 20 years, and a landscape architect (including school) for about 10. I can't claim to know everything, but I darn sure try to learn it when it's obvious that I don't and need to. Same with this instance. Learning all the viburnum lore came with first attraction to the possibilities of the genus, and then the need to make all the possibilities happen when the plants were acquired and planted.

I had the advantage of many years of acquiring texts on woody plants, so a little reading got me steered in the right direction. Not every plant/design professional is so oriented (unfortunately) and sometimes only is exposed to the knowledge level of those they work with, or the limited amount of information that can be provided during the short time in school. I admire, and look for in those I work with or hire, that thirst for CONTINUING LIFELONG EDUCATION (of which GW is one additional source) which illustrates a passion for higher standards and results.

It is promising that the landscaper you admire bothered to source more info for you. It is not promising to suggest that you are overthinking things. I'd be interested in hearing what "tons of viburnums" she plants; what clones of which species; and what happens when she only plants one clone of a species that is rarely represented in Chicagoland. There is the rub. To make the point, you also might ask her if it is overthinking things to only plant Ilex verticillata Winter Red, and no male pollinator, especially if you are in a relatively isolated locale.

I bet the various clones of V. dentatum are well represented around Chicago, since several of them were selected there and have been planted for years. Not so with quite a few others though, like V. nudum Winterthur. You may NEVER see fruit on this fine plant without a dissimilar V. nudum around, since it blooms quite a bit after almost every other common viburnum species.

So.......you are on the right track, and hopefully have many more viburnum experience opportunities ahead. And, if you've helped a design/landscape professional learn a little something along the way, the world will be a better place for it.

See if your landscaper can get one of the Klehm cultivars from Beaver Creek. For small types, get Little Joe. Otherwise, the four regular sized V. dentatum that Klehm introduced will all bloom early like Blue Muffin. Don't use Autumn Jazz--for me and others it blooms too late to cross pollinate Blue Muffin. Pick Chicago Luster if you must have one or the other. Having scoured most of the Chicago-land nurseries over the years, I can say with confidence that the vast majority know absolutely nothing about Viburnum cross-pollination.

Thank you very much to all who responded. Right now, the plan is to put in a juddii, a carlessi, and two blue muffins. In a year or so, I plan to redo the side of the house that currently has a row of neatly manicured yews (yawn). At that point, I will add an early blooming viburnum to cross-pollinate with the blue muffins. But hopefully there's a pollinator nearby that will do the trick for now.

By the way, my landscaper told me today that she played my voicemail message (summing up everyone's input) for her grower, who told her I was "overthinking things." But at least she's doing what needs to be done.

Thanks again!
Rachel

In 2005, I planted a juddii, a carlessi, and two blue muffins. The juddii and carlessi have already bloomed, and had overlapping bloom times, so I am hoping I got some cross pollination mojo going on. I want to put a cross pollinator in for blue muffin this year, too.

The blue muffin flower buds are still tight little cauliflowers. Is there anyone out there in zone 5/the Chicago area who might have some insight into cross pollinators that will bloom at the same time? I am thinking:
Red Feathers
Raspberry Tart
Moon Glo
Little Joe

Thanks in advance!
Rachel

If I were to plant a V. nudum, V. lentago, V. prunifolium, & V. trilobum (one of each of these 4 viburnum), would fruiting occur?

I think V. nudum and V. lentago are supposed to be able to cross-polinate - or is it that the V. lentago will polinate the V. nudum, but the V. nudum will not be able to reciprocally polinate the V. lentago?

Thanks,
Steve

I planted three ‘Blue Muffin’ viburnums four years ago because I wanted berries for birds, but they have never produced any berries. I planted them in front of a ‘Chicago Lustre’ viburnum because multiple sources said they would cross pollinate. The Blue Muffins always are finished flowering by the time the Chicago Lustre flowers, however. Thus, no cross-pollinator and no berries.

In my yard in East Tennessee, V. dentatum Little Joe, Blueberry muffin, and Autumn Jazz bloom first and cross-pollinate, then V dentatum raspberry tart blooms in the middle that overlaps a little with the early and a little with the late flowering cultivars. The late flowing cultivars that cross-pollinate are V. dentatum Chicago Lustre, Northern Burgundy, V. dentatum var. deami, V. bracteatum Emerald Lustre, and V dentatum var. deamii all that glitters. The only cultivar with nice red fall color is the Northern Burgundy.