Barbedejo (Viburnum lantana)

lantana viburnum

Lantana is a deciduous shrub that has multiple uses in medicine and gardening. Its scientific name is Viburnum lantana. It is also known by other names such as viburnum, lantana or barbadejo. It belongs to the Caprifoliáceas family. It is a plant with a widespread use throughout history in the world of medicine and for its ornamental value of the blooms that it has in spring. In this article we are going to talk in depth about all its characteristics, properties, cultivation and care that it needs.

If you want to know more about lantana, this is your post 🙂

Key features

viburnum lantana on trails

The viburnum is capable of growing up to 4 meters in height. This altitude may well be that of a tree, but it is still considered a bush. Its habit is upright and forms a large number of thick stems from the base. Its leaves are simple with an oval and leathery shape. Its texture (see The texture of the leaves) is of the rough type and usually measure up to 12 cm in length. The edges of the blades are serrated.

When spring comes, it produces a pretty showy bloom. It consists of many small white flowers arranged in flattened umbels. The beard also produces quite attractive fruit. It is a species of berries called drupes whose color changes from yellow to black through red as the summer season progresses and ends in autumn. These fruits provide a color, not only to the bush but to your garden if you have it there. In addition, they will be able to offer a variety of colors since not all the fruits change color at the same time. You can have several colors simultaneously.

The fruits attract birds and butterflies, which they enjoy with great pleasure. Therefore, it is also a good idea to make your garden also have some fauna that gives it an extra natural touch.

Origin and requirements

variety of colors in the bearded fruit

This plant is native to Europe and North Africa to the Middle East. If we want to have it in our garden to provide an extra ornamental touch and various simultaneous colors during the warmer seasons, we must meet different requirements. The first thing is the location. It is necessary to sow it in a place where there is sun or semi-shade.

The soil has to have a good alkalinity if we want the barb to flourish well. What cannot happen is that the soil does not have good drainage. It is vitally important that, when we water our plant, the soil does not puddle and accumulate excess water, as it could rot the roots and cause the death of Viburnum lantana.

If you go to the areas where it originates, it is quite common to see it on the roads since they are alkaline areas where the soil usually has good drainage. It has hardly any strict maintenance. However, it is normal that you have to monitor it and have some considerations so that the plant can develop in conditions. The need for water is not great once it has been established in the garden. At the beginning of planting yes it is necessary to water it more frequently.

In general, it is a fairly drought-resistant plant, so it will be able to withstand good periods without the need for abundant watering. This species is ideal to serve as a hedge, shrub borders or even to form the screens that are used for the reduction of noise on the roads.

Maintenance and reproduction

beard leaves

In order to keep our Viburnum lantana in good condition, it has to do some maintenance. And it is that it needs a little pruning to feel rejuvenated and to be able to have an ideal growth. The branches that are getting older have to be cut to renew themselves and allow the growth of the rest in good condition. Any pruning that needs to be done will have to be done just after flowering. This is done because the plant needs enough energy for the flowering season.

In addition, pruning in the later period of flowering is the most indicated, since the shoots that will grow in the following season usually begin to form in summer. If we carry out this pruning, we will be helping the plant to look better, increase its ornamental value, help it grow correctly and guarantee that we will have new shoots again next year. The contrast of the newer shoots with the old ones also helps the diversity of colors that we can observe in the plant.

In order to multiply this plant and obtain better fruiting, it is necessary to plant it in groups. This is due to the fact that one of the reproductions most used by the plant is cross pollination. This way of reproducing has caused that in many areas they have spread from the surroundings of the gardens to beyond and have become naturalized and feral.

When it comes to keeping it healthy, we must also take into account other aspects such as pests and diseases. With Viburnum lantana we should not have many problems, since it does not seriously suffer from other pests or diseases except mildew.

Properties of Viburnum lantana

fruits of various colors of the barbel

Lantana has been used in the medical world (and still today) for numerous applications. Among them we find an internal use. And it is that it has a high concentration of tannins that They are used to have cases of diarrhea. Thanks to its leaves, fruits and flowers, an extract can be extracted that helps to tone our heart.

You can also make various preparations for external use. With its leaves we can make infusions that help, through thes gargles, free us from some of the throat infections that attack us in the most adverse times. This same liquid used in infusions can be poured into gauze to apply to the skin. It is able to help with the treatment of problems such as eczema, dermatitis, itchy skin and ulcers.

This plant has a moderate level of toxicity. Therefore, it is not advisable to ingest numerous preparations with them. Better to consult a specialist.

I hope that with this information you know more about this plant.


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