Viburnums by Eileen Schilling
Late Spring 2004, Vol. 17, No. 2

The Viburnum shrub family is noted for its naturalistic flowers, attractive berries, and remarkable fall color. What sets viburnums apart from many shrubs is that they bundle three seasons of interest together in one plant. Plant several different viburnum species in your shrub border and the combinations will delight both gardeners and wildlife.

The Viburnum species of shrubs is a rather large family. Within it, you will find enormous diversity in terms of growing habit, soil preference, flower style, leaf texture, berry color and even fragrance. Viburnums are often included in a mixed shrub border or used as a hedge. Some are small enough to be included in a perennial garden. An artistically pruned viburnum can stand alone as a focal point in a garden.

Horsfords Nursery has expanded its selection of viburnum. We now offer the following species in varying sizes:
Viburnum carlesii (Korean Spice Viburnum) has beautiful pink buds which open to fragrant spicy-sweet white flowers in early May. This compact shrub has a dense rounded habit with upright spreading branches. Foliage turns wine-red in autumn. Mature height in Vermont is 4-5 feet. Include it in a perennial garden or plant it by a patio where you can enjoy its scent.
Viburnum cassinoides (Witherod Viburnum) is a hardy, Zone 3 native shrub thriving in moist soil. Creamy white flowers bloom in June, followed by berries. Over the course of the summer, the berries put on quite a show, changing from green to pink to red to blue, then black. Witherod has a mature height of 6-10 feet and a spread of about 7-10 feet. The fall color is an attractive crimson or scarlet. Use this viburnum in a site that is overly wet in spring or tends to be wet throughout the season.
Viburnum dentatum (Arrowood) is an excellent shrub to try if you have wet, clay soil. It has an upright growth habit with glossy green foliage. Cream- colored flowers appear in early June and are followed by late summer fruit that birds enjoy. In fall, the foliage turns a warm red. This Zone 3 native matures to a height of 7-8 feet. It is useful as a hedge or windbreak in rough, wet sites.
Viburnum dentatum Chicago Lustre is another excellent choice for wet soils. This selection is favored for its glossy green foliage. Its mature height is a bit smaller than the species, but it is similar in all other respects. Spring flowers are followed by showy clusters of dark blue fruit that attract birds. Fall color is an eye-catching deep red. Extreme hardiness with dense compact growth makes Chicago Lustre a nice choice for a hedge.
Viburnum lantana Emerald Triumph (Wayfaring Tree) is hardy to Zone 3 and a reliable performer in the Northeast. Wayfaring tree has a distinctly rounded growth, bearing creamy white, flat-topped flowers, which entirely cover the plant in early May. The fruit is orange-red for the summer, before turning black. Heavy dark green foliage turns purple-bronze in the fall. At a mature height of 6-8 feet and a 6-8 foot spread, this viburnum would also make a nice hedge. This is one of the best viburnums for clay-based soils.
Viburnum lantana Mohican is a more compact shrub than other lantana species. The leaves are a darker green and the orange-red fruit seems to be more abundant. Mohican is quickly becoming a nursery favorite.
Viburnum lentago (Nannyberry Viburnum) has been sold by our nursery since the early 1900s. Nannyberry can be used as a large shrub (mature height is 20 feet), or pruned as a small tree. The leaves emerge as a soft yellow-green in spring, turning dark green for summer, and may change to a purplish-red in the fall. White flowers are present in May. Nannyberry is best used in a naturalized setting where it gets good air circulation. This shrub is extremely hardy to Zone 2.
Viburnum opulus Nanum (Dwarf European Cranberry Bush) matures to just a 2 foot height and a 4 foot spread, and is the smallest, most compact viburnum we sell. Small leaves are maple-like. Since it requires no trimming, it is easy to include in a low-maintenance foundation planting. It also works well as a dwarf hedge.
Viburnum opulus Roseum (Snowball Viburnum) is an old-fashioned favorite with large, white, snowball-shaped flowers, which are beautiful on the shrub as well as in the vase. I trim this to 2 or 3 main stems with an open top, and use it as a focal point in my cutting garden. We also included one in our mixed shrub border at the nursery.
Viburnum plicatum tomentosum (Doublefile Viburnum) is another viburnum with large clusters of white flowers in May. However, Doublefile has graceful, horizontal branches loaded with flowers all the way down the branch. This shrub can mature to 8 feet. Its deeply veined leaves are bright green all summer, wine-red in autumn. The bright cherry-red fruit eventually turns black. You need to provide ample moisture, as Doublefile Viburnum do not like to dry out. It flowers equally well in shade or sun.
Viburnum plicatum tomentosum Shoshoni is similar to a more familiar plant, Viburnum plicatum tomentosum Shasta, only it is hardier (Zone 4). This selection is an excellent landscape choice due to its compact growth and small, space-friendly form. It matures to a height of 4-5 feet, with a 6 foot spread. Huge white flowers in May are followed by red berries in July.
Viburnum sargentii Onondaga (Sargenti Viburnum) is a new hybrid which is better than the original species. This viburnums new growth emerges dark maroon, matures to a dark green, and then turns a rich red in fall. Pinwheel-like blooms of white and burgundy appear in May. Sargent viburnums like Vermont's cooler weather.
Viburnum trilobum Alfredo (Compact American Cranberry Bush) is a very hardy (Zone 2) form of the Cranberry Bush. Attractive, flat-topped, creamy white flowers appear in May. An abundance of edible red berries follow. With a mature height of only 5 to 6 feet, Alfredo is a great shrub choice for planting up close to the house where its dense foliage will soften a bare wall. Fall color is a yellowish red.
Viburnum trilobum Wentworth (Highbush Cranberry) is my favorite viburnum due to its graceful growth habit and three seasons of interest. A large specimen grows at the end of our shrub display bed. It is about 15 years old and stands at least 12 feet tall. Each spring it is a mass of creamy white flowers and each July it is heavy with bright red fruit. Both flowers and fruit work well in bouquets. Its dense growth habit makes it an excellent choice for a privacy hedge. This Zone 2 plant grows best in cool climates and moist soil. Plant it where it can mature to its full size as pruning severely diminishes its beauty.
Viburnum x juddii (Juddii Viburnum) is another fragrant viburnum. This robust, rounded shrub with blue-green leaves has pink buds that open to fragrant white flowers. In Vermont, the bloom time is May. Juddii seems to be disease resistant. Mature size is 4-5 feet high and wide.

When planting viburnums, many gardeners choose complementary plants such as the various species in the dogwood family as well as several cultivars of deciduous hollies. That discussion, however, will need to be covered in a future leaflet.

download Late Spring 2004 Newsletter (pdf 1.6mb)