Walter's Viburnum is a shrub native to the southeast US that is densely twiggy and upright ascending. While it is not found naturally in North Carolina, it can easily grow in southern Piedmont and coastal areas of the state. It is evergreen to semi-evergreen with a dense rounded form. Its native habitat is the coastal plains in hammocks, thickets, and swamp margins. This plant is slightly salt tolerant. Even though its native range is zones 8-9, it will grow in zones 7-10. The small leaves add varying amounts of purple color in fall and remain semi-evergreen to evergreen in warm winter climates. Tiny, white, 5-petaled flowers in dome-shaped clusters bloom in early spring. Oval blue-black fruits follow and mature in fall. Plant in full sun to partial shade in average, moist, well-drained soils, the plant appreciating some afternoon shade. Grow along ponds or bogs in sunny or woodland sites. 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.
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; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Oval
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen; Deciduous; Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Oblanceolate; Obovate; Spatulate
Leaf margin
Entire; Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Long-lasting; Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves at 1 to 2 inches long and 1/3 to 1.25 inches wide. They are often a lustrous dark green in summer with a varying amount of purple fall color. They are evergreen during warm winters and semi-evergreen to deciduous in cold winter. Margins are entire to slightly toothed.
Fall color
Purple/Lavender
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
1.75-2.25 inch dome-shaped clusters of small white flowers open early spring.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Black; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
1/4 inch red to shiny black drupes in fall.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Reddish-brown stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
SE USA
Distribution
AL, FL, GA, SC
Wildlife value
Early food source for bees. Birds and other wildlife eat the fruits.