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Blackhaw Viburnum

bare-root plants
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Viburnum prunifolium

12-15' x 8-12'

Creamy white 2–4" cymes bloom in early spring while leaves are still opening, attracting dozens of different pollinators. Lustrous green leaves, narrow-to-oval with pointed tips, turn to bronze-red in fall. Dark bluish-black ½" fruits with a waxy bloom form hanging clusters through fall, in a similar way to highbush cranberry. Tasty raw or in preserves.

Rounded arching shrub stiffly branched, reminiscent of a wild hawthorn or crabapple. Suckering nature allows it to form a dense colony or hedge, but it can also be pruned as a nice specimen that can reach 20–30' in height. Appears to be completely disease and pest free in our trials. Attractive to pollinators. Z3.

(1–3' bare-root plants)
ships in spring
Quick Details
Bloom Color
white
Pollinator Friendly
Yes
Hardy to Zone
3
Compare
Compare with other Viburnums
Variety Product Type Bloom Color Hardy to Zone
Northern Wild Raisin bare-root plants white 3
Nannyberry bare-root plants white 2
Highbush Cranberry Seedling bare-root plants white 2
Blackhaw bare-root plants white 3
Northern Arrowwood bare-root plants white 2
Additional Information

Viburnums

The Viburnum genus encompasses more than 150 different species, which can range from dense shrubs lush with green foliage to more open and rangy small trees. Viburnums are prized for their multi-season interest, with blossom, berry and foliage varying by species. Flowers attract many butterflies and other early-season pollinators in spring. Ripening berries, some edible for humans, put on a show of color throughout the summer.

All the Viburnums we offer are important wildlife plants, native to eastern North America.

Growing Viburnums

  • Soil: Adaptable, but in moist rich well-drained soil they will take on a fuller shape.
  • Sun: Full sun to part shade.
  • Pollination: Plant multiples of the same species for best fruit set.
  • Pest Control: Viburnum leaf beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni) has become a problem in some areas. The larvae overwinter on twigs and can defoliate shrubs in spring and early summer. They seem to prefer Arrowwood, but we have seen them do a number on Wild Raisin and Nannyberry. Prune out and burn any egg-infested twigs in early spring before your shrubs are leafed out. Spraying with Spinosad in late April or early May when the larvae first emerge can also help. Timing is key—spraying eggs or adult beetles is less effective.

Small Trees and Shrubs

As Green’s Nursery catalog from 1904 explains, “There are many trees that by pruning can be made to resemble shrubs, and many shrubs that by different pruning may be made to produce medium-sized trees.”

Shipping

Items from our perennial plants warehouse ordered on or before February 20 will ship from March through early May, starting with warmer areas and finishing in colder areas.

Orders placed after February 20 will ship from April to May.