Atsalearinteen
At the end of May or early in June, near the pool at the foot of Atsalearinne (Azalea Valley), you can see a flowering shrub which hasn’t yet come into leaf, the flowers resembling those of a hydrangea. It doesn’t really look like a viburnum, but that’s what it is.
In summer, the hobblebush attracts attention with its large oval-to-round leaves with featherlike veins. In autumn, the berries ripen first to red and then to blue-black. The leaves turn a bright or deep red.
In habit, the hobblebush is loose, though it can grow quite large. The curving branches often touch the ground and root easily, giving rise to the common name.
The North American hobblebush hasn’t yet been tried much in Finland but should be hardy at least in southern areas.
