Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki: Awabuki Sweet Viburnum1
Edward F. Gilman, Dennis G. Watson, Ryan W. Klein, Andrew K. Koeser, Deborah R. Hilbert, and Drew C. McLean
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Introduction
Large, leathery, medium to light green, highly lustrous leaves and clusters of extremely fragrant, small, white flowers, completely covering the plant in springtime, make Awabuki sweet viburnum a plant with great potential. The shiny leaves are quite distinctive from the dull, dark green, blunt-tip leaves of the species. For some reason, the species has fallen out of favor as a small tree in recent years, but it is often used as a screen or clipped hedge. Its dense, spreading, evergreen habit makes sweet viburnum suitable for use as a small tree, reaching only about 15 to 20 feet at maturity, with an open, multibranched, rounded canopy. The flowers are often followed by small, showy red berries which are highly ornamental and turn black when ripe. This is a small tree which should be tried, and some nursery operators are beginning to grow it. Thirty-year-old plants grow to about 18 feet tall and wide.
Figure 1. Full Form - Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki: Awabuki sweet viburnum
General Information
Scientific name: Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki
UF/IFAS Invasive Assessment Status: not considered a problem species at this time, may be recommended
Uses: screen; hedge; specimen; deck or patio; street without sidewalk; container or planter; sidewalk cutout (tree pit); tree lawn 3–4 feet wide; tree lawn 4–6 feet wide; tree lawn > 6 ft wide; highway median; parking lot island < 100 sq ft; parking lot island 100–200 sq ft; parking lot island > 200 sq ft
Figure 2. Range
Description
Height: 15 to 20 feet
Spread: 15 to 20 feet
Crown uniformity: symmetrical
Crown shape: round
Crown density: dense
Growth rate: slow
Texture: coarse
Foliage
Leaf arrangement: opposite/subopposite
Leaf type: simple
Leaf margin: serrate
Leaf shape: elliptic (oval)
Leaf venation: pinnate, bowed, brachidodrome
Leaf type and persistence: broadleaf evergreen, evergreen
Leaf blade length: 3 to 6 inches
Leaf color: dark green wax, thick, and shiny on top, paler green and smooth underneath
Sweet viburnum grows quickly in full sun or partial shade on a wide variety of soils. Relatively maintenance-free, sweet viburnum grown as a tree will require only occasional pruning to control size and shape. This would be a good tree for planting along a street where power lines or other obstructions limit overhead space.
The cultivar 'Emerald Lustre' has larger leaves and `Nanum' is a dwarf form.
Propagation is by cuttings or layerings.
Pests
This tree is usually free of pests.
Viburnum aphid is gray to dark green and feeds in clusters at the tips of the branches, causing leaf curl. The insects can be dislodged with high pressure water spray from the garden hose.
Inspect the stems of unhealthy-looking plants for possible scale infestations. If found, spray with horticultural oil for some control.
Caterpillars eat holes in the new foliage. This may be more troublesome in the nursery than in the landscape.
Thrips, mites, white-fly, bagworms, and sooty mold are also problems, but none are normally serious.
Diseases
Bacterial leafspot causes round, water-soaked spots on leaves and young stems. These develop into shrunken, brown areas about 1/8-inch in diameter. Destroy infected leaves.
Bacterial crown gall forms galls on the lower stems. Do not replant in the same spot.
Shoot blight causes grayish to brown decayed spots on the leaves. The spots first appear at the leaf margins, then spread to the rest of the leaf. Infected flower clusters or twigs are killed.
A number of fungi cause leaf spots. Rake up and destroy infected leaves.
Downy mildew and powdery mildew cause a white powdery growth on the leaves.
Reference
Koeser, A. K., Hasing, G., Friedman, M. H., and Irving, R. B. 2015. Trees: North & Central Florida. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
