This diverse and versatile garden shrub is a landscape star.
Blossoms are usually followed by single-seeded, often brilliantly colored fruit that willbring birds to your landscape.
Many viburnum are grown for their flower display and a few for their showy fruit.
Viburnum Opulus.Credit:Southern Living/Debbie Wolfe
Many evergreen types are valuable as foliage plants.
Several species (noted below) can be grown as small trees.
Viburnums are somewhat resistant to deer damage.
Viburnum Opulus.Credit:Southern Living/Debbie Wolfe
Some, like David viburnum (V. davidii),need acidic soil.
Many have a wide range of climate adaptability.
Where summers are long and hot, most evergreen viburnums look better with some shade.
Viburnum Plicatum.Credit:Southern Living/Adrienne Legault
Viburnums prefer regular water until established, and then they are relatively drought tolerant.
Prune to prevent legginess; some evergreen kinds can be sheared.
Light
These plants preferfull sunbut tolerate partial shade.
Viburnum Opulus.Credit:Southern Living/Debbie Wolfe
Soil
Plant viburnum in slightly acidic soil.
Many types will do well inalkaline soil.
Be sure to read the plant tag to learn about the variety you want to grow.
Viburnum Plicatum.Credit:Southern Living/Adrienne Legault
Most viburnums prefer moist soil that drains well.
Once established, native varieties will be relatively drought tolerant.
Protect viburnum through extreme heat with extra watering and through extreme cold to prevent dieback.
Viburnum Plicatum.Credit:Southern Living/Adrienne Legault
Types of Viburnum
Viburnum shrubs are deciduous, losing their leaves annually, orevergreen all year.
Some types are considered semi-evergreen because they may lose their leaves for a short period during winter.
Deciduous Viburnum
Southern Living/Adrienne Legault
Evergreen Viburnum
V. dentatum.ARROWWOOD.
Zones US, MS, LS, CS; USDA 2-8.
Native from New Brunswick to Minnesota, south to Georgia.
To 610 ft. or taller, equally wide.
Cream-colored flowers in late spring are followed by blue-black fruit.
Dark green, oval to rounded, 4-in.
Leaves turn yellow, orange, or deep red in fall.
Plants tolerate heat, cold, and alkaline soil.
Use as a screen or tall hedge.
Cardinal has a reliable brilliant red fall color.
Blue Muffin is a compact selection reaching only 57 ft. high and 4 ft. wide with intense blue fruit.
Zones US, MS, LS; USDA 6-8.
From China, Japan.
Grows to 810 ft. tall and not quite as wide.
Nearly round, 2- to 5-in.
gray-green leaves; inconsistent rusty red fall color.
Tiny, creamy white, somewhat unpleasant-smelling flowers in 5-in.
clusters, late spring or early summer.
Showy bright red fruit ripens in early fall, and hangs on into winter.
Outstanding named selections include the following.
To 810 ft. tall, 68 ft. wide.
Profuse show of cherry-red fruit that stays in place for a long time.
To 45 ft. high and wide.
Extra-hardy selection; has survived 25F.
Leaves turn bronze and burgundy in fall.
Compact growth to 58 ft. tall, 810 ft. wide, with smaller leaves than species.
Fall color is a combination of yellow, orange, and red.
Rounded habit to 6 ft. tall, 10 ft. wide.
Leaves turn yellow, orange, and red in autumn.
To 9 ft. tall, 12 ft. wide.
Selected for heavy production of larger, darker red fruit.
Orange-red to maroon fall foliage.
Compact and rounded growth to just 56 ft. tall and wide.
Bright yellow fruit stands out beautifully against the scarlet fall foliage.
V.hybrids.Zones US, MS, LS; USDA 6-8.
These spring-blooming viburnums all have complex ancestries.
To 8 ft. tall, 10 ft. wide, with glossy, wavy-edged, 312-in.
Two-inch clusters of fragrant white flowers open from pink buds; dull red fruit matures to black.
Semi evergreen to deciduous.
To 89 ft. tall, 9 ft. wide.
Dense plant with glossy, dark green leaves that turn maroon and red in fall.
Big show of creamy white flowers; glossy, deep red fruit.
Dense, compact habit to 5 ft. tall and wide.
Shiny, dark green leaves to 4 in.
Unscented flowers in 3- to 4-in., snowball-like clusters; dull red fruit ages to black.
Semi evergreen to deciduous.
Dense grower to 89 ft. tall, 910 ft. wide.
Glossy, dark green leaves with good fall color in rich red and maroon tones.
Flowers virtually cover the plant at bloom time.
Zones US, MS, LS; USDA 6-8.
To 48 ft. tall, 610 ft. wide.
Bushier, more spreading, and more heat-tolerant thanV.
carlesiibut similar to it in other respects, including fragrance.
Deciduous in coldest areas, nearly evergreen elsewhere.
Zones US, MS, LS, CS; USDA 6-9.
Rounded habit to 1220 ft. tall and wide.
Dull green, oval to oblong, 2- to 4-in.-long leaves.
Spectacularly big, rounded, 6- to 8-in.
V. nudumWinterthur.WINTERTHUR SMOOTH WITHER- ROD.
Zones US, MS, LS, CS; USDA 5-9.
Native to Southern states, this shrub grows 512 ft. tall and wide.
The sheen on the dark green leaves gives the fall foliage more impact as it turns red.
Tolerates occasionally wet soil but grows in average garden soil as well.
V. odoratissium awabuki.AWABUKI VIBURNUM.
Zones MS, LS, CS; USDA 7-9.
Native to Taiwan and Japan, growing to 12 ft. tall with upright form.
Chindo has large, red, pendant fruit clusters.
V. opulus.EUROPEAN CRANBERRY BUSH.
Zones US, MS, LS; USDA 6-8.
From Europe, North Africa, central Asia.
To 815 ft. tall and wide, with arching branches.
Lobed, maple-like dark green leaves to 24 in.
long and as wide or wider.
Fall foliage color may be yellow, bright red, or reddish purple.
Blooms in spring; flower heads have a lace-cap look, with a 2- to 4-in.
a cluster of small fertile blossoms ringed with larger sterile blossoms.
Large, showy red fruit persists from fall into winter.
Takes moist to boggy soils.
Selections include the following.
Give some shade to prevent sunburn.
To 45 ft. high and wide.
To 2 ft. high and wide.
Needs no trimming as a low, informal hedge.
Cannot take poorly drained, wet soils.
No flowers or fruit.
Roseum (Sterile).
Resembles the species but has snowball-like flower clusters 2212 in.
across, composed entirely of sterile flowers (so bears no fruit).Aphids are especially troublesome.
Rounded growth to 68 ft. tall and wide, with glossy, apple-green foliage.
Showy yellow fruit matures to translucent golden yellow.
V. plicatum tomentosum.DOUBLEFILE VIBURNUM.
Zones US, MS, LS; USDA 6-8.
This truly beautiful viburnum is native to China and Japan.
plicatum plicatum, but mid spring flower display consists of small fertile flowers in flat, 2- to 4-in.
clusters edged with 1- to 112-in.
sterile flowers in lace-cap effect.
Fruit is red aging to black; it is showy, if not always profuse.
Needs good drainage and moist soil.
Excessive summer heat and drought often result in leaf scorch.
Selections include the following.
To 10 ft. tall, 12 ft. wide.
Wide-spreading branches bear large, sterile flowers.
To 10 ft. tall and wide.
Profuse flowers and fruit.
Grows to 10 ft. tall and 12 ft. wide.
Has large flower clusters, large, sterile flowers.
To 9 ft. tall, 12 ft. wide, with white flowers that age to pink.Shasta.
Horizontal habit (to 12 ft. tall, 15 ft. wide), with large, sterile flowers.
Considered by many to be the finest selection.
To 5 ft. tall, 8 ft. wide.
Reaches 58 ft. tall and wide.
Blooms from spring to autumn.
Zones US, MS, LS; USDA 6-8.
Fast-growing, rounded plant to 10 ft. tall and broad.
Shiny, dark green, 2- to 4-in.-long leaves.
Faintly fragrant white flowers in 3- to 6-in.
clusters open from pink buds in early spring.
Zones US, MS, LS, CS; USDA 6-9.
Native from Michigan and Connecticut south to Texas and Florida.
Upright to 15 ft., spreading as wide.
Can be trained as a small tree.
Common name comes from dark fruit and from the plant’s resemblance to hawthorn (Crataegus).
Oval, finely toothed leaves to 3 in.
long turn purplish to reddish purple in fall.
Many clusters of creamy white flowers in spring; edible blue-black fruit in fall and winter.
Use as a dense screen or barrier, attractive specimen shrub.
Best in full sun.
V.xrhytidophylloides.Zones US, MS, LS; USDA 5-8.
These are hybrids betweenV.
lantana, a deciduous species from Europe and Asia Minor.
Leaves resemble those ofV.
rhytido- phyllumbut are broader and less wrinkled.
Flowers and fruit are also similar.
Willowwood resembles Allegheny but has a more arching habit.
V. rufidulum.RUSTY BLACK HAW.
Zones US, MS, LS, CS; USDA 5-9.
Native from Texas to Florida and north to Virginia.
Large shrub or small tree growing 1220 ft. tall and spreading a little wider.
Blossoms come in 5-in.-wide clusters in late spring; theyre followed by handsome dark blue berries.
Fall foliage color ranges from orange and yellow through red and purple shades.
Vigorous grower Emerald Charm (Morton) is slightly more upright.
Zones US, MS, LS; USDA 6-8.
To 812 ft. tall, 68 ft. wide.
Multi-stemmed, rather erect; often bare at base (plant lower-growing shrubs around it for concealment).
Leaves were once used for making tea; they are 36 in.
long, dark green or blue-green turning to purplish in fall.
Spring flowers in 1- to 2-in.
clusters are not striking, but heavy production of scarlet fruit makes this the showiest of fruiting viburnums.
Aurantiacum has orange fruit.
Zones CS, TS; USDA 8-11.
To 810 ft. tall and broad.
Leathery, 2- to 4-in.-long leaves are glossy, deep green above, paler beneath.
Blooms in early spring, bearing flowers in loose, 2- to 4-in.
clusters; some people find the scent objectionable.
Red fruit ages to black, is not long lasting.
Serviceable screen or hedge; very popular in Florida.
Watch for thrips, spider mites, aphids.
Little to moderate water.
Zones CS, TS; USDA 9-10, except as noted.
To 612 ft. tall, half as wide.
Leathery, dark green, 2- to 3-in.-long leaves with edges slightly rolled under.
Blooms in winter; tight clusters of pink buds open to lightly fragrant white flowers.
Bright metallic blue fruit lasts through summer.
Dense foliage right to ground makes it good for screens, hedges, clipped topiary shapes.
Can be trained as a small tree.
Susceptible to mildew, mites.
Selections include the following: Bewleys Variegated.
Upright grower to 35 ft. tall and wide.
Deep green leaves edged in creamy white.
Zone TS; USDA 10-11.
Less hardy than the species, with larger leaves.
Less prone to mildew.
Spring Bouquet (Compactum).
Upright to 46 ft. high and wide; good for hedges.
Leaves are deeper green, slightly smaller than those of the species.
V. trilobum(V. opulus americanum).
Zones US, MS; USDA 2-7.
Native to Canada, northern U.S. To 8-12 ft. tall, 8-12 ft. wide.
Leaves look much like those ofV.
opulus; they emerge reddish tinged, mature to dark green, turn yellow to red-purple in fall.
Blooms mid spring, bearing lace-cap flowers to 4 in.
Fruit is similar to that ofV.
opulusbut is used for preserves and jellies.
Less susceptible to aphid damage thanV.
Wentworth has larger berries and bright red fall foliage.
Compactum is a smaller form, to 6 ft. high and wide.
Zones US, MS, LS; USDA 6-8. dilatatumexcept for its larger leaves, which may turn a good red in fall.
Pruning
Viburnum blooms on old wood, so plan to prune the plant after it has bloomed.
If you prune before it blooms, youll miss the show.
Remove leggy shoots and damaged branches.
Somevarieties of viburnumhave a tree form and might require pruning to maintain its shape.
Propagating Viburnum
Viburnum can be propagated from new softwood or established hard cuttings.
Take softwood cuttings in the spring andhardwood cuttingsin the fall.
Softwood cuttings are easier to work with than older growth and form roots sooner.
Propagating viburnum from cuttings is best.
Some are large shrubs or small trees that mature at 30 feet.
David and Maple Leaf types grow to a more manageable 5 or 6 feet tall.
Choose a pot that is at least 8 inches wider than the root ball and has drainage holes.
Fill the pot with well-draining soil mixed with perlite.
Plant the shrub in the pot and place it in full sun.
Prune any dead or damaged wood.
They do not need to be watered in winter.
Powdery mildew sometimes afflicts viburnums, but dont treat it with sulfur sprays, which will damage the leaves.
Instead, use a fungicide on the affected parts of the plant.
Moving forward, water the plant from above to prevent the fungus.
How To Get Viburnum To Bloom
If your viburnum is not blooming, consider its location.
It needs a lot of sunlight to develop the best blooms.
If the shrubs leaves dont appear healthy, heres what to do.
Leaves Turning Yellow
Yellow leaves can indicate root rot because of poorly drained soil.
Plant in well-draining soil to prevent this.
If the plant remains wilted, it needs water.
Alayer of mulchwill help it retain moisture.
A fungal disease called canker can also cause wilting.
Proper care can help revive the shrub.
Hostas, ferns, bleeding hearts, and columbine make good flowering companions.
There are many uses for viburnum in the garden.
Grow larger varieties as aprivacy hedge.
Use them between taller shrubs or trees and groundcover to create a mixed bed.
Add them to woodland gardens or naturalized areas.
Grow dwarf varieties in containers.
Viburnums can live for 50 years or more, depending on the variety and care.
Properly cared for, these shrubs can be part of the landscape for decades.
