Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Viburnum, 1 by ViburnumValley

ViburnumValley wrote:
To: Levari facias

From: Sage Trousers

Re: ID request; nice gauntlet!

ID outside (as well as during) the growing season is not mysterious, herculean, or reserved for the Einsteinian. Following a dichotomous key (decide which fork in the road to take), reading up on plants and definitions of terms, and looking closely at plant parts instead of only the grossest (largest, most obvious) features enables anyone to do this. Experience over time helps, too.

As you'll see, I think we have twins separated at birth. Your plant clearly illustrates the characteristic features of Viburnum dilatatum, which is known to have escaped cultivation and is suspected/accused of being invasive in MD.

•All viburnums have opposite arrangement of plant parts (buds, leaves, branches)
•Look closely at the youngest twigs/stems and note the fine downy hair
•This is also present on the buds which have a reddish-brown cast
•This is also present on the pedicels (what fruit is attached to)
•Persistent fruit, formerly red but off color after winter freezes
•Prominent orange lenticels (small round bumps) on main branches

Here's some botanical description (from Dirr) for everyone to immerse in:

Buds imbricate, slightly pubescent, 4 to 6 bud scales, blunt, brownish, often with a tinge of red in the scales; young branches hispid, brown, lenticels -- orange (prominent).

Here's a chunk of what's by my front porch.