Best Flowering Shrubs for Cutting

As I write this, I've got a gorgeous Viburnum shrub in full bloom by my side patio. Even halfway around the house on the back porch, you can smell the sweet fragrance of it. It's got an intoxicating smell. I make a mental note to cut some of the branches and bring them inside before they start to fade. It's in dire need of a haircut since it's well over 8' tall now but just cutting a vase-full isn't going to get the job done. It will make the house smell terrific, though. Unlike the soft stems of annuals and perennials, knowing which woody stemmed plants work well in a vase can be challenging. A cut tulip readily slurps up water like there's no tomorrow and even continues to grow in a vase. The woody stems of flowering shrubs don't absorb water as easily and often the beautiful blooms begin to wilt within hours. There's a few tricks you can try for a higher success rate, however. Who doesn't love a big vase full of lilacs on the kitchen counter or dining room table? Try to cut flowering branches in the cool of the morning. Hot afternoon sun is already stressing the plant so better to snip your branches before 10 a.m. and only cut branches that are no thicker than a pencil. Best practice regarding the cut is to be sure to use sharp pruners so the slice is clean and make the smallest cut possible by cutting straight across the branch. Then you can cut your stem's branch at an angle for more water absorption. A flat cut on the bush itself allows it to seal up and heal the quickest. Place your cut branches in a vase of warm water. It seems to kick-start water absorption better than cold tap water. (The opposite is true for soft-stemmed annuals and perennials.) An old rule of thumb, smashing or pounding the cut ends of the stems is no longer recommended. Instead, using your pruners, cut upwards into the stem twice, about an inch deep, leaving an "X". This exposes more of the cambium and phloem of the interior of the stem to the water in the vase. Since woody stems have a harder time absorbing water, removing most of the leaves on the stem is also a good idea. This reduces the surface area in need of hydration. Leaving a few right up near the blossoms themselves is fine, though. Particularly important is to cut every leaf off that's going to be under water in the vase. Submerged leaves quickly begin to rot and produce bacteria that will hasten the demise of the branch and smell really bad. So, now that you know a few tricks for the highest success in keeping flowering shrub branches looking good in a vase, what types of flowering shrubs tend to hold up the best when cut? The most obvious is roses. Cut the stems when the flower buds are just starting to open but not yet in full bloom. Tight buds usually won't unfurl after cutting though a few smaller buds at the tip of the flowering stem looks nice. Lilacs and hydrangeas are also good choices for cutting. Bloom time on lilacs is tragically short but with new, later-blooming hybrids now on the market, you can keep that glorious lilac scent inside your house well into June. In my opinion, the good old-fashioned common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) has the strongest smell of them all but later blooming hybrids still give off a pleasant essence. There's so many varieties of hydrangeas, it's possible to have vases full of them from June 'til frost. Viburnum is another good cut shrub flower and oh, does it smell heavenly. Better Homes & Gardens tells me Caryopteris (Bluebeard) is another good cut shrub flower. I might give it a try, though it's mostly zone 6 and above, although I see a few cultivars for zone 5. Here in Dublin I've had a devil of a time getting a true blue perennial or flowering shrub that's over 12" tall to flourish. My latest efforts were three different varieties of Agastache but I've got a less than 50% survival rate. Frustrating! The Proven Winners website also suggests Sweetshrub (Calycanthus,) Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius) and Quince as good cut flowers. Better Homes and Gardens adds Ninebark, Smokebush and Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) to the list. I've got two young varieties of Mock Orange, so I'll try a couple small bunches once they start blooming. From now through mid-fall there's no reason you can't have vases overflowing with gorgeous, heavenly scented blooms throughout your home. Get out there and cut some flowers!