Arrowwood viburnum

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; flowering, fruiting and autumn colour are usually best with plenty of sun.

Water

Moderate; keep newly planted shrubs evenly moist. Established plants tolerate short dry spells and occasional wet soil.

Soil

Adaptable to clay, loam or sandy soil, including moderately alkaline ground; prefers moist, well-drained soil.

Height

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m), occasionally taller

Spread

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m), widening further through suckers

Flowers

Late spring to early summer; small creamy-white flowers in flat-topped clusters.

Foliage

Opposite, oval to rounded green leaves with prominent veins and coarse teeth; autumn colour varies between plants and growing conditions.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.9 ft (0.88 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.3 m)

4. After 3 years

   5 ft (1.6 m)

5. After 5 years

   8 ft (2.4 m)

   full size

About 5 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply during dry spells for the first two growing seasons; avoid letting the root ball dry out.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch, keeping it away from the stems.
• Feed only if growth is weak or a soil test indicates a deficiency; avoid routine heavy nitrogen feeding.
• Plant a genetically different arrowwood viburnum with overlapping flowering time nearby for reliable fruit production.
• Remove unwanted suckers at their point of origin if you need to contain the shrub.

Pruning. Prune just after flowering, removing damaged or crossing stems and, when needed, a few of the oldest stems at ground level. Avoid shearing: it spoils the natural shape and removes some of the developing fruit.

Late winter

Inspect bare twigs for viburnum leaf beetle egg sites; prune out and dispose of affected tips before eggs hatch.

Spring

Plant while the soil is workable, water thoroughly and renew mulch.

Late spring

Check young leaves for beetle larvae and feeding damage; remove small infestations promptly.

Early summer

After flowering, thin crowded stems only where necessary, retaining fruiting branches.

Summer

Water during prolonged drought and remove suckers that extend beyond the intended planting area.

Autumn

Leave fruit for birds and check that nearby shrubs are not being crowded by new suckers.

• Plant as an informal boundary hedge where its broad habit and suckering have room to develop.
• Use in a mixed woodland-edge border with serviceberry, ferns and shade-tolerant perennials.
• Group several genetically different plants in a wildlife planting to improve fruit production and provide dense cover.
• Place behind asters and goldenrods for a layered border with late-season flowers, fruit and autumn foliage.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Wildlife garden, Native hedgerow, Traditional, Low-maintenance and Autumn colour.

Plant it with: Serviceberry, Winterberry holly, Virginia sweetspire, Christmas fern, New England aster and Goldenrod.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen and nectar for visiting insects. The foliage supports caterpillars, the fruit feeds birds, and dense branches provide shelter and nesting cover.

• Viburnum leaf beetle can severely defoliate plants, especially in parts of North America and Europe. Remove egg-bearing twigs in winter and hand-pick larvae; severe infestations may need a locally approved treatment applied according to the label, avoiding open flowers.
• Leaf spots can develop in humid conditions. Remove fallen affected leaves, water at soil level and thin congested growth to improve airflow.
• Powdery mildew may coat leaves in crowded or shaded sites. Improve airflow and avoid drought stress; mild late-season infection rarely needs treatment.
• Little or no fruit usually means inadequate cross-pollination, poor flowering or pruning at the wrong time. Add a genetically different arrowwood with overlapping bloom and prune only after flowering.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is generally regarded as a serious poisoning hazard, but the fruit is not recommended for eating and large quantities may cause stomach upset.

• Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago)

  Nannyberry has more elongated, long-pointed leaves with finer teeth and often narrowly winged leaf stalks; arrowwood leaves are broader and more coarsely toothed.

• Mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium)

  Mapleleaf viburnum usually has three-lobed, maple-like leaves and a smaller, woodland-understorey habit; arrowwood leaves are unlobed.

The common name refers to the traditional use of straight shoots for arrow shafts, while dentatum means toothed, describing the leaf margins.

Propagation. Take softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer, or separate rooted suckers while dormant. Seed is slow and may need successive warm and cold periods before germinating; seedlings will not necessarily match a named cultivar.

Accepted botanical name

Viburnum dentatum

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey and Ohio.

Measured

Average height 460 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.