Blue Muffin and Chicago Luster

Isn't it true that Blue Muffin and Chicago Luster are supposed to be a good match for pollinating? Well, my Blue Muffin is in full bloom now and has been for a week or so, and Chicago Luster looks to be about a week away from opening. They are about 8-10' apart. Whats up?

Also, I have a lot of wild viburnums along the edge of my woods. They are in bloom now too. Will they help pollinate my Blue Muffin? Are they dentatums? I may have a picture somewhere

Those two should be blooming close enough to each other to get cross pollination, according to VV's bloom chart from last year. I know I have a Chicago Luster here, but I have no idea where. I am surprised your Blue Muffin is blooming so late though. I have a full crop of berries already on mine. Misidentification of either plant is a possibility. When did you plant these shrubs? If planted this year, they could be blooming at different times because of where they were grown previous to when you bought them.

As to the wild Viburnums, you would have to get us a picture to ID.

My Chicago Lustre is blooming now, but that may be delayed due to transplanting it this spring after dormancy.

My Chicago Lustre is blooming right now. My Blue Muffin and Autumn Jazz have been done for awhile. I don't see any berries on either yet......all planted last year, spring time.

I hope its really Blue Muffin. It was planted May '03 so it should be on its regular schedule. From the other C.L. timings above, I must just be in a slow microclimate. Hard to imagine that BOTH my plants would be mismarked. According to the extension 'indicator plant' list for my region, I am about on schedule.

As far as the wild viburnums pollinating, I'm sure you all have gone over this a gazillion times, but does the pollinator HAVE to be a dentatum or can another species blooming at the same time do the job?

In any case, I found my pic of the wild viburnums. can you id it?

and here's a pic of the alleged Blue Muffin last spring.

plantaholic:

Your wild viburnum looks a whole lot like Viburnum acerifolium, mapleleaf viburnum. Did it have flowers similar in appearance to your arrowwoods, or did it have more of a pinwheel/lacecap look (like the cranberrybush viburnum types)? The fruit evident in your picture and the leaf shapes lead me to believe you have mapleleaf viburnum. Usually, these don't overlap in bloom time with the arrowwood group.

Overlap in bloom time is a must, and similarity of species is necessary. The arrowwood complex is a pretty broad group, so you shouldn't have too much difficulty getting a plant to overlap. Seedlings of your current plants will suffice, if you are patient. Arrowwood clones are everywhere (I'm growing 25+ different ones, not counting seedlings) and the species is about the easiest of all the viburnums to root from cuttings (oops, giving away trade secrets now).

Your alleged Blue Muffin™ looks like all the alleged Blue Muffin™s I've ever seen, but that may just be us stereotyping or "profiling". You've given us a front view; now, take a side view (add a scale), fingerprint, DNA sample, and see if your plant has 3 forms of official ID.

If your Chicago Lustre™ gets its act together (and Blue Muffin™ holds on), you should have ample pollination opportunities.

Our weather here on the east coast has delayed a lot of bloom for us, too....