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🔍 Click to enlargeshrubperennial
Viburnum
Viburnum × burkwoodii
Versatile four-season shrub with fragrant spring flowers, colorful berries, and fall foliage.
Quick Facts
Sun:☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Partial Shade
Water:💧💧 Moderate
USDA Zones:Zones 4–8
Space:🌱 Small Bed, 🏡 Large Garden
Soil:Loam, Clay, Silty
Best Season(s):Spring, Fall
Experience Level:🌱 Beginner
Native Range:Hybrid origin (parent species from East Asia)
Bloom Color:White to pink, often fragrant
Bloom Cycle:Mid-spring
Care Notes
Minimal pruning needed — preserve natural shape. Plant two varieties for best berry production.
Growing Details
Mature Size:6-8 ft tall, 5-7 ft wide
Growth Rate:🌿 Moderate
Zone Performance
In Zone 4, viburnum blooms slightly later and berry set can be reduced if a late frost damages open flowers; in Zone 8, it flowers earlier in spring and benefits from a bit of afternoon shade in hotter inland areas to prevent summer leaf stress and premature fall color.
Companions & Wildlife
🦌 Deer Resistance
occasionally damaged
Susceptibility varies by species, but Burkwood viburnum is browsed by deer more readily than truly deer-resistant shrubs, especially in winter when food is scarce.
🐝 Pollinator Value
high
Intensely fragrant spring flower clusters are highly attractive to bumblebees, honeybees, and a range of native solitary bees, and the berries later feed songbirds.
Good Companions
Forsythia — Precedes viburnum's own spring bloom, creating a sequential flowering display through the season in the same bed.
Hydrangea — Shares similar moisture and part-shade tolerance while extending the shrub border's bloom season into summer.
Ornamental Grasses — Provides fall and winter textural interest that complements viburnum's own colorful autumn foliage and berries.
Azalea — Blooms around the same time in spring, layering complementary flower forms and colors in a mixed shrub border.
Troubleshooting
⚠️ Poor or no berry production
Plant two genetically distinct viburnum varieties nearby, since most cross-pollinate poorly or not at all with a single plant of the same clone.
⚠️ Viburnum leaf beetle skeletonizing foliage
Scout for and prune out egg-laying sites on twigs in fall/winter, and treat larvae with insecticidal soap in spring before major damage occurs.
⚠️ Powdery mildew in late summer
Ensure good air circulation between shrubs and avoid wetting foliage when watering.
✅ Pet Safety
Generally considered non-toxic to cats and dogs; some berries may cause mild GI upset if eaten in quantity.
Informational only — always check with a veterinarian if you suspect your pet has eaten something it shouldn't have.