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Viburnum lantana

wayfaring-tree

Viburnaceae Europe and western Asia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 3–7

Overview

Viburnum lantana is a deciduous shrub in the moschatel family, growing 10-15 feet (3-4.5 m) tall and nearly as wide, with a dense, upright to rounded, multi-stemmed form. The opposite leaves are broadly oval, 2-5 inches (5-13 cm) long, deeply veined and wrinkled on top, with toothed margins and a grey, felted underside. Young stems are coated in the same grey down. In late spring, flat-topped clusters 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) wide carry many small, creamy-white, fertile flowers, all of similar size. The flowers are followed by flattened oval fruits that ripen unevenly, passing from green through red to black, so red and black drupes often appear in the same cluster. Autumn foliage turns dull red to purple. The shrub tolerates dry, alkaline, and chalky soils and withstands wind and cold. It self-sows where birds drop the seed and has naturalised in parts of eastern North America, where it can crowd out native shrubs. Fruit is mildly toxic to people if eaten raw.

Native Range

Native to central and southern Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, where it grows in hedgerows, scrub, woodland edges, and on chalk and limestone soils. It has naturalised in parts of eastern North America.

Suggested Uses

Grown as a screen, informal hedge, or shrub border plant in exposed, dry, or chalky sites where many shrubs struggle. It suits wildlife plantings, the flowers drawing pollinators and the fruit feeding birds. In regions where it has naturalised, it is kept away from natural areas to limit its spread.

How to Identify

Identify by the broadly oval, deeply wrinkled leaves with grey-felted undersides and the grey, downy young twigs. Flat clusters of uniform creamy-white flowers open in late spring, with no enlarged outer ring. The two-toned fruit clusters, mixing red and black drupes at once, are characteristic in late summer.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height10' - 15'

Width/Spread10' - 15'

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

red

purple

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~2 weeks

Spring

Creamy-white flowers open in late spring, usually May, in dense flat-topped clusters of equal-sized fertile blooms. The display lasts about two weeks. Fruit forms over summer, ripening unevenly from green to red to black.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay chalk sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

Moderate; 6-10 years to mature size

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Performs in full sun to part shade on most well-drained soils, including dry, alkaline, chalky, and clay ground at a pH from 6.0 to 8.0. Once established it tolerates drought, wind, and cold, and it is hardy in zones 3 to 7. Wet, poorly drained soils are the main limitation. It needs little feeding and grows steadily without close attention. Birds spread the seed widely, so seedlings can appear well away from the parent. Pruning is tolerated but the natural form needs little correction.

Pruning

Prune after flowering to shape the shrub or to remove old, weak, or crossing stems at the base. Renewal pruning of a few of the oldest stems each year keeps growth vigorous. Hard cutting back is tolerated and resprouts from old wood.