Viburnum opulus
European Cranberrybush Viburnum
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
Average mature size of 8-12' tall and 10-15' wide, can occasionally reach 15' tall. Multi-stemmed shrub, with an upright-spreading growth habit. Arching branches to the ground, forming a rounded habit. Can eventually form a thicket if allowed. Medium growth rate.
Native Range
Native to Europe, northern Africa, and northern Asia. Cultivated for centuries.
Flower and Fruit Details
Flowers are white, grouped in flat-topped cymes 3-4.5" diameter, outer ring of 0.75" flowers with yellow anthers creating a showy, creamy-white pinwheel effect, occurring in April and May. Fruits are berry-like drupes, 0.33" long, bright red, ripening September to October, used for preserves, shrivel and look similar to red raisins in winter.
Leaf and Bark Features
Deciduous: Opposite, simple leaves, 2-4", resembling those of red maple, w/ 3 pointed lobes, & some larger teeth around the margin as well. Leaves dark green & glabrous above, often pubescent beneath. Petiole 0.5-1" long, w/ a narrow groove & concave glands. Fall color can be non-existent, or a good yellowish-red to reddish-purple. Not consistent.
Culture and Care
Transplant into full sun or partial shade. Needs good air circulation and well-drained moist soil, pH adaptable. Tolerates clay and wet conditions. Zones 3-8. Aphids, Viburnum beetles and borers are problematic in Midwest, will show significant leaf spot in wet winters, and a stem blight with cankers can kill the plant in warm, humid states.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
One of the easiest viburnums to grow, with an excellent showy flower and fruit display. Good wildlife value. 4-season interest: Spring, summer, fall, winter. Waxwings and other songbirds will enjoy the fruits throughout the fall and into the winter.
Suggested Uses
Often used for screening, mass plantings, large areas, or in the shrub border.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Viburnum opulus // European Cranberrybush Viburnum ("straight species")
Shrub.
Bed 133Viburnum opulus 'Nanum' // Dwarf European Cranberrybush Viburnum
Shrub. A dwarf form, densely branched, usually only 18-24" tall and 2-3' wide, or rarely to 4-5' tall and wide. Useful as a filler or facer plant or in rock gardens, or even as a low hedge. Almost never produces any flowers or fruit. Avoid wet, poorly-drained sites. Gets fungal leaf spot in wet weather. Leaves are 0.75-1.5" in size. Zones 3-8. Needs full sun to part shade. Develops mediocre greenish-red to reddish-purple fall foliage color. Susceptible to bacterial crown gall.
Bed 133Viburnum opulus var. americanum // American Cranberrybush Viburnum
Shrub. Also known as Viburnum trilobum. Excellent screening plant. Leaves 2-5" long and wide. Petiole with dome-shaped, convex glands. 8-12' tall and wide. Zones 2-7. New growth has a reddish tinge. Summer leaves are lustrous on top side. Fall color is yellow or reddish-purple. Creamy white pinwheel flowers in May, with an outer ring of fertile flowers and a mid-section of sterile flowers in each cyme. Red to red-orange edible fruits, September through February, used for jellies. Grows in moist ditch banks and wet, swampy areas. Not drought-tolerant. Native from New Brunswick to British Columbia, south to New York, Michigan, South Dakota and Oregon. Introduced in 1812. Good for screens, hedges.
Bed 160Viburnum opulus var. americanum 'Compactum' // Compact American Cranberrybush Viburnum
Shrub. Compact, dwarf form only reaching 6' tall and wide. Good flower and fruit production. New growth tinged red. Fall color is yellowish-red, not consistent. Stems are very slender & uniformly upright to spreading. Attractive, white lacecap flowers on a compact, upright shrub. Brilliant display of edible, bright red berries (drupes) in the fall, although some growers report little to no fruit set. A suitable pollinator may be needed for good fruit production. Needs full sun to part sun. Zones 3-7. Bird friendly, deer resistant, Makes a good informal hedge or low screen.
Bed 128