Viburnum obovatum (Walter’s Viburnum)

Viburnum obovatum (Walter’s Viburnum) is a large evergreen to semi-evergreen to deciduous shrub (or small tree) with a dense, rounded habit. The foliage of small, wedge-shaped, leathery, dark green leaves may remain on the tree in mild winters. In early spring, the shrub is covered with a profusion of flat-topped clusters, 2-3 in. wide (5-7 cm), of creamy white flowers. Blooming for about 2 or 3 weeks, they are borne at the branch tips while the leaves develop. Their nectar provides a food source for bees and butterflies. They are followed by clusters of berries maturing from red to shiny black. The lush foliage and summer berries provide great cover, nesting, and food sources for a variety of birds and other wildlife. Native to swamp margins, stream banks, and moist low open woods along the coastal plain from South Carolina to Florida and Alabama, Walter’s Viburnum may be used in the landscape as an unpruned, natural screen or a fine-textured, clipped hedge. It can be sheared into a topiary or espalier or trained into a small tree with multiple trunks.

• Grows up to 6-30 ft. tall (180-900 cm) and 6-12 ft. wide (180-360 cm). Fast-growing, this plant may sucker and form a thicket.
• A full sun or part shade lover, this plant is easily grown in fertile, acid, moist to wet, well-drained soils. Best growth occurs with consistent and even moisture.
• Perfect for shrub borders, hedges and screens, foundation plantings, and near ponds and streams.
• Low maintenance, this plant is virtually pest and disease-free.
• Propagate by seed or cuttings. Seeds require scarification and may take several years to germinate.
• Native to swamp margins, stream banks, and moist, low open woods along the coastal plain from South Carolina to Florida and Alabama.