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Burkwood Viburnum

Viburnum (vih-BUR-num berk-WOOD-ee-eye)

Family: Viburnaceae Non-native Shrub (3-15 ft)

Burkwood viburnum is an easy-to-grow shrub that has showy fragrant flowers and will attract wildlife to your yard. It is a cross of garden origin between V. carlesii and V. utile, grown for its early, strongly scented flowers. This particular hybrid is not as showy as others with its summer fruit display. To have the best cross-pollination and fruit display plant in groups rather than as specimens. It is adaptable to a wide range of soils and pH types. Mature plants have excellent heat and drought tolerance. Leaves turn maroon in fall but remain evergreen in zones 7 and 8. Use as a foundation plant, hedge, or specimen in average moist garden soil in full sun to partial shade. Seasons of Interest: Bloom: Spring Foliage: Spring, Summer, and Fall Fruits: Summer Quick ID Hints: bulky semi-evergreen to deciduous shrub showy, fragrant, blooms from mid-March to April glossy, ovate, pubescent leaves, opposite in arrangement fall leaf color ranges from burgundy red to purple in summer, red drupes ripen to black Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: There are no serious insect or disease problems, but leaf spots and aphids may be detected. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 65 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Viburnum carlesii Viburnum utile
Fills a similar niche Hibiscus syriacus 'Blue Bird' Hydrangea quercifolia Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 9 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Multi-stemmed; Open
Foliage
Deciduous; Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Up to 4-inch glossy green leaves have hairy undersides and turn maroon in fall.
Fall color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Pink buds open to fragrant white blooms in April on 2-3 inch rounded cymes.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Black; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
0.3 in. red fruit turns black in summer
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray
Bark detail
Mature bark is gray-brown and fissuring
Stem color
Cream/Tan
Stem detail
Stems are tan and pubescent, relatively thin, and becoming densely branching with age.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Asia
Wildlife value
Mildly resistant to deer
Attracts
Butterflies; Songbirds
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Fragrance
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Drupe
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn
Landscape theme
Children's Garden; Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Border; Foundation Planting; Small groups; Specimen
Garden tags
#heat tolerant #showy flowers #deciduous #low maintenance #drought tolerant #deer resistant #bird friendly #butterfly friendly #pink flowers #foundation planting #specimen #fall interest #white flowers #pollinator plant #landscape plant sleuths course #deciduous shrub #semi-evergreen #hedge #wildlife friendly #accent #fragrant flowers #HS304 #shrub border
Problems & Resistance
Other problems
Purple Mite
Resistant to
Deer; Drought
Propagation
Root Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.