Blackhaw Viburnum
Blackhaw Viburnum is a sturdy and elegant native shrub or small tree that offers beauty and habitat value in every season. In spring, it lights up with clusters of creamy white flowers that support early pollinators. These blooms give way to pink-blushed berries that ripen to deep blue-black by late summer, feeding songbirds like cardinals, waxwings, and thrushes. The fruits are also edible for people and have a pleasantly sweet, date-like flavor.
As summer fades, glossy green leaves turn brilliant shades of burgundy and purple in the fall, while its blocky bark and upright form add winter interest. Reaching 12–15 feet tall, Blackhaw Viburnum is ideal for hedgerows, screens, or naturalized plantings and performs well in both sunny and partly shaded sites.
Why choose Blackhaw Viburnum?
- Four-season appeal with flowers, berries, fall color, and winter texture
- Incredible wildlife value—flowers for pollinators, fruit for birds and mammals
- Edible fruit with a rich, jammy flavor
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Very adaptable to sun or part shade, urban sites, clay soils, and drought
Maintenance Tips
- Prune in late winter to maintain shape or encourage a tree-like form
- Mulch annually to conserve moisture and suppress weeds
- Remove suckers if single-stemmed form is desired
- Water young plants during dry periods until well established
- Minimal fertilization needed—compost is usually sufficient
- Prune after flowering if needed to shape or thin.
- Allow suckers to grow if a thicketed form is desired; remove if not.
- Mulch in early years to retain soil moisture and suppress weeds.
- Drought-tolerant once mature but benefits from occasional deep watering.
- Plant more than one shrub for better fruit set.
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