Tea Viburnum is a shrub from China with flower clusters smaller than most viburnums but has one of the heaviest fruit production of the Viburnums. More than one shrub is needed for fruiting so plant in groups. This shrub grows 8-12 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide with a loose vase shape and often loses the bottom 1/3 of its leaves giving it a leggy appearance. The 1-2 inch cymes of white flowers are somewhat showy and are followed by abundant and showy yellow-orange fruits that mature to bright red. The fall color is a muted red. Tea Viburnum prefers moist slightly acidic loams but is adaptable to other soils including slightly boggy ones. Plant in full sun to partial shade in shrub borders to hide the legginess and for the fruiting effect. Can be grown along a stream, pond or bog. 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.
Often confused withViburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Summer Snowflake'Viburnum tinus
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 | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed; Vase
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Blue; Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
3-6 inches by 1-2 inches gray-green to blue-green leaves have pointed tips and a rounded base, slightly toothed margins and hairs along the veins. Fall color is unreliable and a muted red.
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
White flowers on 1 to 2 in. flat-topped cymes. Individual flowers have 5 petals
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Long-lasting; Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
0.3 to 0.5 in. oval orange-yellow drupes mature to red and persist till frost when they turn translucent.
Bark color
Dark Gray
Bark detail
Gray fissuring bark
Stem color
Gray/Silver
Stem detail
Smooth gray stems with lenticels, stem buds are green with red edges with 3-5 scales.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
China
Wildlife value
Mildly resistant to deer.
Attracts
Butterflies
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Drupe
Edibility
Leaves can be used to make tea.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Leaves were used by the monks on Mount Omei to make teas