Introducing Viburnum 'Nantucket'

The National Arboretum is pleased to announce the release of 'Nantucket', the 20th viburnum cultivar from the shrub breeding program. This outstanding plant was selected for its large, mildly fragrant white inflorescences, dark semi-evergreen narrow leaves, and upright relatively compact growth habit. With a mature size of 12 feet high by 7 feet wide, 'Nantucket' is well-suited as a specimen plant, in a hedge or mass planting, or as a backdrop in the shrub border.  'Nantucket' originated from a cross made in 1988 by the late Donald Egolf using 'Eskimo' as the seed parent combined with pollen from a species collected in the wild from China, Viburnum macrocephalum f. keteleeri. After noteworthy performance in the National Arboretum’s research fields, the selection was sent for further evaluation to cooperators in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. Based on production and landscape performance at these sites, 'Nantucket' was named and released by the Agricultural Research Service in July 2008. The National Arboretum does not have stock plants or liners available for general distribution; however, wholesale cooperators are currently propagating 'Nantucket' for expected retail availability as early as Spring 2009.   For more information, please check out our draft Viburnum 'Nantucket' Fact Sheet [PDF file].   The U.S. National Arboretum is the leading institution in the United States conducting long-term hybridization, testing and evaluation of trees and shrubs. Over 650 named cultivars have been released by the Arboretum to the ornamental nursery and floral industries. (Photos: Top left, 'Nantucket' flowers; bottom right, 'Nantucket' foliage)

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Last Updated: October 6, 2008 1:22 PM
URL = http://www.usna.usda.gov/Research/Viburnum_Nantucket_Release.html