Age And Blooms

photos by Peter Harrington

These are two blackhaw viburnum shrubs (native to central Ohio, of course). They were planted side by side two years ago. They came from the same source and were in the same size container. They were pretty much identical when planted. So, why does one plant have a few flowers while the other has none? Age is actually a factor here. Both these shrubs have reached the age where, in the future, they will flower more consistently. Kids entering puberty is a great analogy; not every child begins puberty at the exact same time. The same is true for trees, shrubs, and perennials, even if they are the same age. If you have every grown trees, shrubs, or perennials from seed this is familiar. Big box nurseries don't sell immature plants, but wait until they flower to sell them. Mail order catalogs will ship immature plants, and people are usually disappointed when their plants arrive and don't bloom that first summer. Patience pays off, again!