Overview
Uses: Informal hedges, wildlife gardens, mass plantings, and pollinator gardens.
Benefits: White flower clusters in late spring are followed by bright blue berries that birds love, then red to burgundy fall foliage. Berry set is heaviest with another arrowwood viburnum nearby.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–8
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Rounded, Upright — dense and full.
Bloom Color: White
Foliage Color: Green, turning Red and Burgundy in fall
Mature Height: 5–7 feet
Mature Width: 5–7 feet
Bloom Season: Late spring
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
White spring flowers, bright blue berries, and red fall color on one native shrub.
Blue Muffin® is a selection of arrowwood viburnum, a shrub native to the eastern United States. In late spring it covers itself in flat-topped clusters of small white flowers that draw bees and other pollinators.
By late summer those flowers ripen into clusters of bright blue berries, which songbirds pick over through late summer and fall. The berry crop is heaviest when another arrowwood viburnum grows nearby to cross-pollinate. As the season winds down, the leaves turn shades of red and burgundy.
At about five to seven feet tall and wide, it is a natural fit for informal hedges, the back of a mixed border, wildlife plantings, and woodland edges, and it fills in densely enough to screen a view through the growing season.
Care
Blue Muffin® Arrowwood Viburnum Care
Plant in full sun to partial shade. More sun means more flowers, more berries, and stronger fall color.
Arrowwood viburnum grows best in moist, well-drained soil but adapts to a wide range of soils, from sandy to clay.
Water deeply once a week through the first growing season, more often in hot, dry weather. Established plants handle ordinary dry spells. A layer of mulch helps keep the root zone moist.
Feeding needs are light. An application of slow release fertilizer in early spring is plenty.
Blue Muffin® blooms on the previous year’s wood, so do any shaping right after it flowers in late spring; pruning later in the year removes next season’s flowers and berries. Every few years, take out a few of the oldest stems at the base to keep the plant vigorous. If you notice heavy leaf damage in late spring, check with your local extension office about viburnum leaf beetle, which feeds on arrowwood viburnum in parts of the Northeast and Midwest.
Size
What Size is the Blue Muffin® Arrowwood Viburnum for Sale Online?
Our Blue Muffin® Arrowwood Viburnum ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants ship dormant or near dormant in the off-season, so they may arrive with few or no leaves. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Blue Muffin® Arrowwood Viburnum Grow?
Expect about 5 to 7 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide at maturity, in a dense, rounded shape. Space plants about 4 to 5 feet apart for an informal hedge.
Additional Information
What is the botanical name of Blue Muffin® Arrowwood Viburnum?
The botanical name is Viburnum dentatum Blue Muffin® ‘Christom’. It is a Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrub.
What are some common names for this plant?
- Arrowwood viburnum
- Southern arrowwood
- Arrowwood
Is Blue Muffin® a native plant?
It is a selection of Viburnum dentatum, which is native to the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. Garden selections like this one are often called nativars, and they keep the flowers and berries that make the species valuable to pollinators and birds. Browse more Native Plants of North America.
Do I need a second plant to get berries?
A second plant helps. Arrowwood viburnum sets the most fruit when it can cross-pollinate with another arrowwood viburnum of a different variety blooming nearby. A single Blue Muffin® will still flower and may set some berries on its own, but planting a partner gives a much heavier crop. For companion shrubs, see our Shrubs & Bushes.
