Viburnum cassinoides
Overview
Uses: Informal hedges and screens, mass plantings, shrub borders, wildlife and pollinator gardens, woodland gardens, rain gardens and damp sites.
Benefits: A handsome, ultra-hardy native shrub that earns its place in every season. Flat creamy-white flower clusters in late spring give way to remarkable berries that shift from green to pink, rose, and deep blue — frequently showing several colors on the same cluster. Glossy foliage finishes the year in brilliant red and burgundy, and the plant tolerates a wide range of soils, including wet ground.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–8
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Rounded, Mounding — dense, multi-stemmed form.
Bloom Color: White
Foliage Color: Green, maturing to red and burgundy in fall
Mature Height: 5–8 feet
Mature Width: 5–8 feet
Bloom Season: Late spring to early summer
Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate
Summary
Witherod viburnum is a four-season native that saves some of its best for the fall, when its berries and foliage put on a show together.
Flat clusters of small creamy-white flowers open in late spring, lightly fragrant and busy with pollinators. By late summer they become the plant's signature feature: clusters of berries that ripen through green, pink, rose, and finally a deep porcelain blue, often displaying the whole gradient at once. Birds find them irresistible. As the fruit colors, the glossy green leaves ignite in red, maroon, and burgundy.
Behind the seasonal drama is a genuinely easy shrub. Rounded and densely branched, it tolerates everything from ordinary garden beds to damp, low ground, and its cold-hardiness makes it dependable in the coldest northern landscapes.
Care
Witherod Viburnum Care
Witherod viburnum grows well in full sun to partial shade and adapts to a broad range of soils, from average garden loam to consistently moist or boggy ground. It prefers slightly acidic, moisture-retentive soil for best fruiting.
Water regularly during establishment and in dry spells; once settled the shrub is moderately drought-tolerant. Feeding is seldom necessary, but a slow release fertilizer applied in early spring can support strong growth and flowering.
Maintenance is minimal. Prune lightly just after flowering to shape the plant, taking care not to remove developing fruit. For the heaviest berry set, plant more than one viburnum nearby to improve cross-pollination.
Size
What Size is the Witherod Viburnum for Sale Online?
Our Witherod Viburnum ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Witherod Viburnum Grow?
Witherod viburnum forms a rounded, multi-stemmed shrub roughly 5 to 8 feet tall and about as wide. It builds slowly to that size and can be kept more compact with occasional pruning after bloom.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
This shrub is known by several names, with the most common listed first:
- Witherod viburnum
- Wild raisin
- Northern wild raisin
- Swamp haw
Why do the berries show so many colors at once?
The fruit ripens in stages rather than all at once, passing from green to pink, rose, and deep blue. Because different berries in a cluster ripen at different times, a single cluster often displays the entire color range together — one of the plant's most ornamental traits.
Is witherod viburnum deer resistant?
Viburnums are generally considered to have moderate deer resistance, and witherod is no exception, though no plant is entirely deer-proof. For more options, see our collection of deer-resistant shrubs and evergreens.
Is it native, and good for wildlife?
Yes. It is native to eastern North America, and its flowers support pollinators while its berries feed many birds. Find more in our collection of native plants.
