Arrowwood Viburnum

General description

Grows 6' to 15' tall, 6' to 15' spread

Zones 3 to 8

Rounded shape with creamy white flowers
Spectacular fall color display from yellow to glossy red or reddish-purple
Provides food, cover, and nesting sites for birds
Native to North America

This shrub adds plenty of seasonal interest to any landscape. Creamy white flowers appear in late spring, bundled into lovely flat-topped clusters. Blue-black berry-like drupes follow the flowers in the summertime, ripening completely in early fall. And as fall marches on, the lustrous dark green leaves take on lovely fall shades of yellow, glossy red or reddish-purple.

If you’re looking for a larger statement piece in your space, the dense, hardy and versatile arrowwood viburnum should be on the list of contenders.

Plant requirements

The Arrowwood Viburnum does well in Full, Partial Shade exposure(s).

The Arrowwood Viburnum grows in Acidic, Alkaline, Clay, Loamy, Moist, Rich, Sandy, Silty Loam, Well Drained, Wide Range soils.

Practical use

It forms dense thickets and provides excellent cover and nesting sites. Birds consume the abundant fruits. It attracts Red Admiral, Eastern Comma, Question Mark butterflies and is larval plant food for the spring azure butterfly and hummingbird moth.

Leaves:

The leaves are opposite, simple, suborbicular to ovate, 2-4 1/2" long, 1-4" wide, with a coarsely toothed margin as the botanical name implies, lustrous dark green in summer, sometimes without the sheen, yellow to glossy red to reddish-purple in the fall. Fall color will vary depending upon exposure, growing conditions and genetics within the species.

Flower Color:

White with yellow stamens create a creamy colored small flower in 2-4", flat topped clusters (cymes)

Bloom Time:

May to early June

Fruit Description:

blue to bluish black, 1/4" long, oval berries (drupes) ripening in late September through October