Hobblebush is a native viburnum shrub that grows south to zone 6 with an open, sometimes straggly habit. The pendulous stems that touch the ground develop roots that can trip or hobble a walker- hence the common name. It is found in the mountains of NC. Hobblebush prefers moist, rich woods, stream banks and swamps and moist, gravelly or sandy, acid loams. Hobblebush will develop thickets in its native habitat. This shrub would best be used in naturalized settings. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases. More information on Viburnum .
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.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Mountains
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Cascading; Open
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Cordate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate; Serrate
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
4-8 inch long slightly heart-shaped leaves are opposite, simple, broad-ovate, in widely spaced pairs, irregularly serrate, tip short acuminate, base cordate, stellate pubescence on both sides, eventually becoming glabrous, but may retain hairs on the veins below. Nice fall color of bronze-red to purple.
Fall color
Brown/Copper; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
3 to 5 in. flat cyme of white flowers with a lacy effect in early summer. The individual flowers on the outer edge of each cluster are much larger than those in the middle. The smaller center blooms are fertile.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Blue; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Edible; Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
1/3 inch long red drupes maturing to purple in late summer.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray
Bark detail
The bark is initially gray-brown and warty, later splitting into shallow ridges and furrows.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green
Stem detail
Brownish-green stems with light lenticels. The opposite buds are naked and covered with tan, scruffy pubescent that extends down the twig. Pendulous branches often fall over and root where they touch the ground.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America
Distribution
CT , GA , MA , MD , ME , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , TN , VA , VT , WV
Wildlife value
Larval host for the Spring Azure. Gamebirds, songbirds and mammals eat fruit, browsers eat twigs and leaves
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Songbirds
Host plant for
Spring Azure
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Drupe
Edibility
Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked
Uses (ethnobotany)
The Algonquin reportedly rubbed its mashed leaves on the head to treat migraines. Iroquois are said to have used a decoction of roots as a blood medicine. The plant was also used to treat chest and breathing problems.