You will find a ever increasing number of viburnum varieties to choose from. Here are some time tested choices to consider:
Asian varieties
Burkwood viburnum (Viburnum x burkwoodii) Zones 5-8, 8' H & W
Extremely fragrant. Outstanding cultivars include:
'Anne Russell', pink flowers and red fall foliage , compact
'Mohawk', spicy fragrance, white snowball flowers open from red buds. (Introduced by the
U.S. National Arboretum) 8-10' H shrub, Zones 4-8.
Korean spice or Mayflower viburnum (V. carlesii) Zones 5-7, Under 6' H, x 6' W
The pink buds are very fragrant and open into white snowball flowers.
Leaves can be either velvety or rough, like sandpaper
'Compactum', slow grower spreads to only 3 tall and wide in 10 years.
V. carlesii crosses:
V. x carlcephalum 'Cayuga', low grower with pink buds, slightly fragrant. Bright red fall foliage with black fruits. Zones 5 - 8
C. x juddii grows to 8 feet and is more open than its parent V. carlesii
Other Notable Non-natives
Doublefile viburnum (V. plicatum f. tomentosum) Zones 4-8, 10' H x 12' W
Flowers in flat, double rows, great orangy-red fall foliage and clusters of red-black fruits. A few are fragrant.
V. p. 'Mariesii' and 'Shasta' have the conventional white lacecap flowers.
V. p. 'Kern's Pink' has soft-pink snowball style flowers and purplish edging on the leaves.
V. p.‘Shasta’ grows to 6 ft. Flowers in May, clusters of pure white flowers followed by red fruits. Zones 5-8.
Linden Viburnum (V. dilatatum) Zones 5-8, 5'H x 8'W
One of the showiest for both the flowers and the red fruit clusters.
V. d. ‘Catskill’ only gets about 5 feet in either direction.
European Cranberry Bush (V. opulus) Zones 4-8, 15 x 12 ft.
Although not generally the showiest of viburnums, there are some worthwhile cultivars.
V. o.'Xanthocarpum' is an exceptional white lacecap type with persistent yellow fruit
V. o.'Nanum', a dwarf growing to only 2' H x 3' W in a span of 10 years
V. o. 'Roseum' Snowball flowers resemble hydrangeas in that they start out pale-green and change to white. ‘Roseum is a sterile viburnum.
Evergreen Varieties
David Viburnum (V. davidii) Zones 7-9, 3-5 feet Height and Width
Native to China. One of the most attractive evergreen varieties.
Dark green leaves with dark blue fruit. Tiny, tubular white flowers are borne on stem tips. Requires both a male and female to bear fruit.
Prague Viburnum (V. 'Pragense') Zones 6-8 , 10' H & W
A rounded, bushy evergreen shrub.
The glossy, dark green leaves are deeply veined and contrast with the tubular white flowers that form in domed umbels.
Leatherleaf Viburnum (V. rhytidophyllum) Zones 5-8, 15' H x 12' W
Native to China. Semi-evergreen in colder climates, losing their leaves when temperatures dip below 10 degrees F. and not especially attractive in the winter.
Leaves damaged by winter cold tend to fall off in the spring, as new foliage emerges.
V. X rhytidophylloides 'Willowwood' has deeply veined green foliage and flowers in the fall
V. X rhytidophylloides 'Allegheny' has dark-green leaves that set of the reddish-black fruits. It flowers in the spring.
Good choices for creating standards
Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'Newport' Zones 4-8, 10' H X 12' W
Viburnum carlesii 'Compactum' Zones 5-8, 3-4' H & W
Viburnum. X bodnantense 'Dawn' Zones 7-8, 10' H x 6' W Go back to learn about growing viburnums and Native North American varieties.
