Viburnums Are Showy, Versatile Shrubs

There are many reasons to have several viburnum shrubs in your landscaping. Viburnums are versatile shrubs, adaptable, and low-maintenance besides being showy, fragrant, and a year-round attraction.

There are close to 200 different species of viburnums and many of them are native. That's another plus for adding a viburnum to your landscaping. The native shrubs are usually not bothered by pests and are pretty much disease resistant. They're also deer proof, however, rabbits like to eat the bottom branches leaving the shrub pruned and looking more like a tree. In fact, some people do prune their viburnums to look like small ornamental trees.

Butterflies and bees are attracted to their flowers, while birds are attracted to the berries during the late summer and fall months. These well-adapted versatile shrubs can be found in just about every Zone in the United States. Check with your local garden nursery to find out what varieties are recommended for your area.

Here's a gardener's tip: Some viburnums will not flower or berry by themselves so you may need to purchase two or three plants. Your local garden nursery can tell you whether or not your plant needs a mate.

General Description of Viburnums

Viburnums flower in the spring attracting butterflies and bees, and they attract birds in late summer and fall for their berries. Some viburnums are evergreens while others are semi-evergreen meaning that they will drop some leaves but not all of them during the winter months.

The majority of viburnums are very compact and dense. They are well known for their beautiful foliage and attractiveness to the garden.

Propagation is easily done by taking a 4-6 inch stem from a branch. You don't have to prune these shrubs, but if you do, that's the time to keep stems and propagate them.

Most viburnums need sun to partial shade although there are some shade loving varieties. Many prefer Zones 4-8, however, there are some varieties that do well in Zones 2-9. Again, you'll need to check with your local nursery as to which varieties will do best in your Zone.

Flowering Viburnums

Most viburnums will flower and are sweetly scented. You'll be attracted to their scent each spring and may have to place a chair near your flowering viburnum so you can sit and be entranced by its fragrance. Better yet, plant this versatile shrub near a window so that you can open the window and bring the fragrance into your home.

The flowers range in colors from white, cream, and pink and they're small and usually clustered. Most look like snowballs or similar to hydrangea blooms. When they are in bloom, they are very showy, attractive, and fragrant.

The Berries

Besides attracting butterflies and bees with their flowers, most of these versatile shrubs will develop berries during the summer. In late summer through fall the birds will be attracted to their berries. I've seen robins, vireos, thrushes, and grosbeaks eating the berries on my viburnums.

The berries can be a bright red to a dark purple color which highlights this shrub and makes it a late summer and early fall attraction. What's nice about the berries on a viburnum is that they overwinter on the shrub so that birds can eat them all winter long. When the wintering juncos and other birds migrate south, these berries help sustain them from their long journey.

The Leaves

Viburnums have a variety of leaf color. Some have deep green glossy leaves, some are a bright medium green, and some are variegated. Leaf shapes can be pointed around the edges while others are small and round shaped. The pointed-leaf variety looks a lot like holly. There's also a Mapleleaf viburnum (V. acerfolium) which has large green leaves that resemble a mapleleaf.

Many viburnums put on a showy display during the fall as their leaves change color. Some are bright yellows while others are deep burgundy. While sporting their fall colors, they may still have their berries if the birds haven't eaten them all, and this makes an attractive display.

Viburnums are very a versatile shrub. They not only attract butterflies, bees, and birds, but they look great in all four seasons. They're very easy to maintain and you can easily propagate them. What more could you want in a versatile shrub?

Sources: Ask The Plant Lady
Piedmont Carolina Nursery
Fine Gardening
Unique Garden Plants
Personal Experience