I got this one on a dig up a couple of years ago. It was found at about 5500ft elevation. Understory plant growing in poor rocky soil. This bush is about 3 years old and has been pruned every year to shape and fill in the natural tendency to get an undivided branch.
close up of same plant
It's a dogwood, Cornus sps. not a Viburnum. It's probably Cornus sericea, the Redosier Dogwood, the only one listed as being native to Montana.
Oh I thought it was viburnum because of the flower and foilage. Thank you.
The parallel veins which also run roughly parallel to the leaf edges(notice no veins run directly out to the leaf edge), is definitive for all Dogwoods. But you're right, the flower clusters and the opposite leaves make Dogwoods and Viburnums look a little bit similar.
The funny thing is I have redosier dogwood and they don't bloom as well as these natives. I also don't see them bloom at the same time. But I guess my stupidity caused me to shape them as a viburnum so they are a dogwood shaped like a viburnum. Thank you for the definition of dogwood leaf description.
This message was edited Jun 4, 2006 9:54 PM
I don't think stupidity has anything to do with it. You had to be smart enough to know what a Viburnum looks like to make the mistake you did!
Also, the cultivated Redosier Dogwoods probably originate from all over the place and that would probably explain the differences you noticed between this one and those.
I looked at those dogwoods last year thinking how much I wanted have them in my yard. How large a shrub did you dig, and what time of year did you dig it? If I am going to do this, I want good chance of success. Thankfully, we have them around here at lower elevations so I don't need to go bother the grizzlies in the Cabinet Mts. too much.
We have something similar to that growing through north Ga.,but I have never gotten out on the roads to go look,their in bloom now,all around various places,other Georgians have any input??Mike
Are there Grizz in the Cabinets? I knew they traveled alot but I assumed when I camped up there I was nice and cozy. I wish you hadn't told me. LOL When I dug the shrub I had to look for one that was not taprooted into a slab of shale. Then I dug 8 to 12" plants. Then they were put in 1 gallon - 5 gallon pots of potting soil then the next year into their area. If I got a good root base they went into their planned space. They transplant pretty easy in the spring. Just after dormancy so you can ID the bush. I have several and prune each after flower early summer for shape.
Thanks for the info. I saw quite a few of them in bloom this time last year, so I guess I need to go looking again (with a shovel conveniently in the vehicle). Yes, we have grizzlies. The numbers aren't as great as over where you are. I think there are nine tracked in the Cabinets, and a female was released just south of where I live last year. There was one identified about a mile from here, so we try to keep everything of interest cleaned up around the house.
Isn't it interesting that New Yorkers, Hollywood types, and other non- Montanans want the grizzley population reestablished in the native areas of grizzley habitat. I wonder if they would want wolves reestablished in the isle of Manhattan, Jaguars in Hollywood, or Pit Vipers in Philladelphia. I know that they would have lots to feed on there. Just look at the old movie "Wolfen" Hee Hee.
I can only wish that some of the reintroduced wolves and bears would do a better job of controlling the 4 legged marauder population. The whitetails just keep increasing.
