Most are fast growing, making them great choices for hedgerows or privacy screening. In an open, sunny location they usually form a rounded or mushroom shape; and can be pruned into single stem small “trees”. In under-story situation, they spread in search of light, forming smaller, more open specimens that naturally reflect how they grow in the wild. They are very adaptable plants, and there is a viburnum for almost any garden or landscape situation. Matching the right plant to the right place will help you pick the best one for you!
Viburnums are valuable to wildlife, such as songbirds, game birds, and small mammals, as well as a myriad of insects including pollinators such as native bees, moths, butterflies, beetles, and flies. They serve as a larval host plant for the spring azure butterfly.
Here are some viburnums we grow here at the nursery, and often have in stock! (As always, please check our availability if searching for a specific plant).
Viburnum acerifolium – Maple-leaf Viburnum
- 3′-6′ in height x 3′-6′ spread
- Moist to dry, well-drained, acidic soils
- Tolerates poor, dry, rocky soils in shaded situations once established
- Requires acidic soil; best planted in naturally acidic woodlands
- One of the more challenging native viburnums to cultivate
- Creamy white flowers in late spring
- Blackish colored berries ripen in late fall, contrast nicely with fall foliage
- Brilliant fall color tends to be bright scarlet-red, but may be burgundy
- Deer resistant
- Sun to Shade (part sun / part shade or dappled shade is ideal)
Viburnum cassinoides (syn: V. nudum var. cassinoides) – Witherod Viburnum
- 5′-12′ in height x 5′-12′ spread
- Moist to wet soil
- Tolerant of clay, occasional flooding, and poor drainage, but prefers a well-drained loam
- Creamy white flowers in late spring to early summer
- Attractive berries vary from blue to pink, clusters are very decorative though quickly eaten by songbirds
- Fall foliage varies from burgundy to red to scarlet
- Full sun to part shade
Viburnum dentatum – Arrow-wood Viburnum
- 6′-12′ in height x 4′-10′ spread
- Moist to dry, well-drained soil
- One of the toughest and most adaptable viburnum species
- Tolerates clay soils, occasional flooding, poor soils, and drought
- Creamy white compound flowers in late spring
- Blue-back berries in fall
- Fall foliage varies from burgundy to red to scarlet to orange to yellow
- Deer resistant
- Sun to part shade
- Tolerates intense, hot sun exposure, even in dry soils (once established)
Viburnum lentago – Nanny Berry Viburnum
- 15′-18′ in height x 6′-12′ spread
- One of the largest native viburnums; could be used as a small tree in the landscape
- Moist, well drained soil
- Adaptable to poor compacted, permanently moist soils or very dry soils
- White blooms in late spring
- Fruits turn from green to pink to blue; often multicolored bunches until ripe
- Fall foliage varies from yellow to orange to burgundy
- Sun to light, dappled shade
- Air pollutant tolerant (great for urban settings)
Viburnum prunifolium – Black Haw viburnum
- 12′-15′ in height x 6′-15′ spread
- Horizontal to broad oval canopy; similar to a crab-apple or hawth0rn in shape
- Moist to dry soil; drought tolerant
- Creamy white flowers in early to mid spring
- Fruits are large, like sour cherries and ripen to black in color
- Fruit can be made into a jelly
- Fall foliage tends to be bright, scarlet-red but can be yellowish to orange to burgundy
- Prefers part sun; tolerates full shade
- Mildly deer resistant; very resistant once mature
Viburnum nudum – Smooth Viburnum / Possum Haw
- 6′-12′ in height x 4′-15′ spread
- Wet to moderately dry soil
- Consistently moist, cool soils preferred
- Tolerates occasional flooding and clay
- White blooms in early summer
- Fruits are very attractive as they ripen from green to pink to blue, sporting multicolored berry clusters
- Leaves are glossy and smooth, giving it its name
- Full sun to part shade
- Prefers cool location, out of direct sunlight
Selections and Cultivars:
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- ‘Brandywine’ – Compact cultivar that typically grows 5′-6′ in height with exceptional berry production
- ‘Winterthur’ – Compact cultivar that typically grows 6′ in height; needs a pollinator to set berries
Viburnum opulus var. americanum (V. trilobum) – American Cranberry Bush
- 5′-15′ in height x 4′-10′ spread
- Vase shaped , mounded with long, arching canes
- Fast growing and suckering habit in wet to very moist soils
- Average to moist soils,
- Tolerates wet soil and heavy clay well
- White, showy blooms in late spring
- Fruit is bright red; similar in appearance to cranberries
- Useful for making berry preserves
- Fall foliage varies from bright, scarlet-red to burgundy to yellow-orange
- Full sun to part shade
Selections and Cultivars:
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- ‘Wentworth’ – Originally selected for its heavy fruit set, which could be used for making preserves, this selection grows 10′-12′ in height by 10′-12′ spread (may be smaller in drier soils) with exceptional fall color
- ‘Bailey Compact’ – Semi-dwarf form, generally growing to 6′ in height by 6′ spread, with exceptional fall color; flower and fruit set is generally less than other varieties
