Nannyberry

Sun

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

Water

Moderate; keep newly planted shrubs evenly moist. Established plants tolerate occasional dry spells, but grow best with consistent moisture.

Soil

Adaptable to clay, loam and sandy soils, including alkaline ground. Prefers moist soil with reasonable drainage and tolerates seasonal wetness.

Height

15-25 ft (4.6-7.6 m)

Spread

10-15 ft (3-4.6 m), wider if suckers are allowed to form a colony

Flowers

Late spring to early summer; flat clusters of small, creamy-white flowers.

Foliage

Opposite, glossy green, oval leaves with pointed tips and finely toothed edges; autumn colour ranges from yellow to reddish purple.

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

   2.4 ft (0.73 m)

2. After 1 year

   6 ft (1.8 m)

3. After 2 years

   9 ft (2.9 m)

4. After 3 years

   13 ft (4 m)

5. After 5 years

   20 ft (6.1 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 and Canada

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply during dry spells for the first two growing seasons.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Feed only if growth is weak or a soil test identifies a deficiency; routine heavy feeding is unnecessary.
• Remove unwanted suckers at ground level to keep the shrub within its space.
• For a more dependable berry crop, plant a second, genetically different nannyberry nearby.

Pruning. Prune immediately after flowering, removing dead or crossing branches and, if needed, a few of the oldest stems at ground level. To train a small tree, retain one or several strong trunks and gradually remove lower branches and suckers; heavy pruning reduces the berry crop.

Pick berries in late summer or autumn when they are fully blue-black and slightly soft; harvest clusters and strip off the ripe fruit. Eat or process the sweet flesh, discarding the large, flat stone. Nursery-grown plants may take about 3-5 years after planting to give a useful crop, depending on their starting size and pollination.

Spring

Plant while conditions are cool, water thoroughly and mulch the root area.

Late spring

After flowering, thin crowded stems or remove unwanted suckers if shaping is needed.

Early summer

Check leaves for viburnum leaf beetle larvae and remove affected leaves or larvae promptly.

Summer

Water young plants during dry weather, soaking the root area rather than sprinkling the foliage.

Late summer

Begin checking berries for full blue-black colour and softness; leave some clusters for birds.

Autumn

Plant additional shrubs while soil remains workable, and renew mulch where needed.

Winter

Inspect bare twigs for viburnum leaf beetle egg scars and prune out infested tips before spring.

• Use as an informal boundary screen where its suckering habit can fill gaps.
• Plant at a woodland edge with serviceberry, ferns and shade-tolerant groundcovers.
• Train as a small, multi-stemmed tree beside a lawn or broad path, allowing clearance for its mature crown.
• Include in a wildlife hedgerow for spring flowers, autumn colour and persistent fruit.
• Place in the shrub layer of a food forest, with access for harvesting berries.

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

Plant it with: Serviceberry, Red-osier dogwood, Winterberry, Wild geranium, Christmas fern and Virginia sweetspire.

Wildlife: Flowers attract bees, flies and other pollinating insects. Birds and small mammals eat the fruit, while dense growth provides nesting cover and shelter.

• Viburnum leaf beetle can skeletonise leaves, especially in parts of North America and Europe. Hand-remove larvae, prune egg-bearing twig tips in winter, and use locally approved treatments if repeated defoliation threatens the plant.
• Powdery mildew can coat leaves in a white film, particularly in shaded, crowded sites. Improve airflow, avoid overcrowding and water at soil level; mild late-season infection rarely needs treatment.
• Leaf spots may develop in wet weather. Collect heavily affected fallen leaves and avoid overhead watering; established shrubs usually tolerate minor spotting.
• Poor berry production can result from deep shade, pruning off flower buds or lack of a compatible pollen partner. Provide more light, prune just after flowering and add a genetically different nannyberry.

Nannyberry is not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. The ripe fruit flesh is edible, but discard the large stones rather than chewing or swallowing them. Safety information for other plant parts and for livestock eating large quantities is limited; do not use leaves or stems as food or feed.

• Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium)

  Blackhaw usually has duller leaves with blunter tips and leaf stalks that lack nannyberry's conspicuous, wavy-edged wings.

• Rusty blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum)

  Rusty blackhaw has rusty-brown hairs on young growth and along the veins beneath its thicker leaves; nannyberry lacks this rusty covering.

• Wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana)

  Wayfaring tree has strongly wrinkled leaves with densely felted, pale undersides. Nannyberry leaves are smoother and glossier.

Propagation. Separate rooted suckers while dormant, or take softwood cuttings in early summer. Seed is slow and usually needs a warm period followed by cold stratification; germination can take more than a year. Suckers and cuttings are clones, so they do not provide a genetically different pollination partner.

Accepted botanical name

Viburnum lentago

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Masachusettes, Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri.

Measured

Soil pH 5 to 7. Average height 324 cm.

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