Viburnum dentatum, or arrowwood viburnum, named because its straight thin stems were great for creating arrows, exists throughout the landscape of Fairsted. Olmsted employed a layered effect to add to the seeming abundance of foliage and the perceived size of the actual area. Arrowwood viburnum’s branches grow up and out from the base and then gently arch back toward the ground. Arrowwood viburnum generally grows 6 to 15 feet in diameter and is 10 feet tall, with broad waxy leaves. Because of these characteristics, it covers a decently large area and fills in almost completely from top to bottom. This growth made it a great species for Olmsted to use at the front of his beds at Fairsted, allowing the entirety of the area that the plant takes up to be green, which was an important tool that Olmsted used in creating the appearance of abundance. In addition, the broad leaves were an important part of a technique Olmsted used to stretch the perceived size of his landscapes. By planting broader-leafed plants in front, closer to viewers, and thinner leafed planting, often coniferous plants, further back, he made it seem that the broader leaf plants were even closer and the thinner-leafed plants even further back than either actually were. Arrowwood Viburnum is not invasive to Massachusetts and is tolerant to drought, both of which could have influenced Olmsted’s reasoning for using Arrowwood Viburnum at Fairsted. |
Last updated: February 23, 2024