Sargent Viburnum is an ornamental shrub from Asia that grows 12-15 feet tall and wide. It is adaptable to a wide range of soils but is not heat tolerant. It grows with an upright round form and is easy to grow in average moist well-drained soils. It prefers full sun to partial shade in cool summer climates. The showy flowers are in 3-4 inch wide flat-topped cymes and are followed by dark red drupes that can persist into winter. The 3-lobed leaves have nice yellow to red fall color. Use this shrub as a hedge, in shrub borders, mass planted or as a specimen. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: : aphids can be particularly problematic. 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); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in. | Width: 12 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed; Rounded
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Brown/Copper; Green; Purple/Lavender
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The 2-5 inch long 3 lobed leaves emerge in the spring with bronze to purple hues before maturing to green. Undersides are pubescent. Fall color is yellow to reds
Fall color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Cream/Tan; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
White clusters of 3 to 4 in. flat-topped cymes in spring. Larger sterile flowers ring the smaller fertile flowers on the inside. Blooms late spring to early summer.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Up to 1/2 inch, bright scarlet berries in fall that persists into winter.
Bark color
Dark Brown
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Cream/Tan
Stem detail
Shiny stems a tannish-brown
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Asia
Distribution
Siberia, Russian Far East, Mongolia, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea