Viburnum erosum ("Kobanogamazumi")

Japanese name: コバノガマズミ （小葉莢蒾）
Scientific name: Viburnum erosum

[Overview]
A deciduous shrub 1–4 m tall, found in hills and mountains.
Young branches are tinged with red, have 4 ridges, and are densely covered with stellate hairs.
The leaves are simple and opposite, 2–9 cm long and 1.5–3.5 cm wide, and vary in shape from obovate to ovate to oblong-lanceolate.
The upper surface of the leaf is smooth and slightly glossy; there are 5–8 pairs of lateral veins, and the margin has irregular tooth-like serrations.
The leaf stalk is short at 0.2–0.6 cm and densely covered with soft hairs and stellate hairs; there are usually linear stipules.
Flat corymbs 3–7 cm across are produced at the branch tips.
The flowers are white, 5–7 mm across; the corolla is 5-lobed, and the 5 stamens project far out.
The fruit is 5–7 mm long and ripens red; it is sweet and sour, and wild birds love to eat it.

[Uses]
The fruit is used medicinally.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
For seed, collect ripe fruit, wash the pulp off thoroughly, and then sow.
It grows well regardless of soil type as long as the site is sunny or partially shaded, well drained, and rich in humus.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil becomes severely dry.
Apply fertilizer in winter, and also, after flowering, apply a slow-release chemical fertilizer with equal amounts of the 3 components as a thank-you fertilizer.
Do not prune and enjoy the natural shape of the tree; if you want to keep it compact, cut just above a bud as soon as possible after flowering.
Powdery mildew and scale insects occur easily when ventilation is poor, so care is needed.

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