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Arrowwood Viburnum

Viburnum dentatum

Arrowwood is named for the straight, unbranched young shoots that rise from its base each year and were used for arrow shafts; they also give the shrub its upright, multi-stemmed vase form. Flat white flower clusters in early summer draw a wide range of small bees, beetles and flies, and the fruit that follows ripens blue-black in early fall, high in fat and taken quickly by thrushes, catbirds and cardinals. Fruit set is far heavier with a second, genetically different plant nearby, so buy two clones rather than two plants from the same cutting. The berries are edible and pleasantly sweet, though there is very little flesh around a large seed. Fall color is reliable and runs to deep red and burgundy. It suckers steadily into a thicket, which makes it a fine informal hedge and a poor specimen for a tight bed.

Family

Viburnaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

6–10 ft

Spacing

6–10 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

moist

Soil pH

acidic

Bloom

May, June, July

Bloom colors

white

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~104 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

border, hedge or screen, naturalizing, rain garden

Native states

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV