Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

Description:

An underutilized native shrub with many attributes; showy clusters of creamy white flowers in spring, pinkish-red berries which fade to dark blue in fall and good fall color. Rigid, upright form. Also available in tree form.

Ornamental Features

Blackhaw Viburnum features showy creamy white flat-top flowers at the ends of the branches in mid spring. The royal blue fruits are held in abundance in spectacular clusters from early fall to late winter. It has dark green deciduous foliage. The pointy leaves turn an outstanding purple in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Blackhaw Viburnum is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Blackhaw Viburnum is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Blackhaw Viburnum will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is native to parts of North America.