Viburnum trilobum (Cranberry Viburnum)

Despite the name, this shrub isn't a true cranberry - its tart, vitamin-C-rich fruit simply resembles one - and its berries persist attractively into late winter, softening and sweetening over the cold months as a genuine cold-season food source for Cedar Waxwings and other overwintering birds.

Species Overview

Viburnum trilobum, commonly called cranberry viburnum, American cranberrybush, or highbush cranberry, is a large, rounded, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub native to northern North America, typically growing 8 to 15 feet tall. Showy, lace-cap-style white flower clusters bloom in late spring, followed by clusters of bright red, tart, cranberry-like berries that persist into late winter.

Application

• Screening hedge and specimen plantings - dense, rounded, arching form
• Cold-season bird food source - berries persist and sweeten through winter
• Moist woods and lake margin restoration
• Edible landscaping - tart, vitamin-C-rich fruit for jams and jellies

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Moist, well-drained soils; consistent moisture preferred, tolerates a wide range of soil types
• Growth Rate: Moderate - 1-2 ft. per year
• Plant Type: Shrub
• Mature Height: 8-15 ft.
• Fall Color: Red-Purple
• Bloom Color / Period: White; May-June
• Wetland Indicator Status: NI (No Indicator) - see flags
• Native Range: Northeast/Mid-Atlantic (full list)
• Hydrology: Mesic-Moist
• Root Depth: Moderate (12-24 in.)
• Salinity Tolerance: Low
• Drought Tolerance: Moderate
• Deer Resistance: Some (Rutgers rates the genus "seldom severely damaged")
• Flood Tolerance: Moderate - A cold-hardy shrub of moist thickets and wetland margins; tolerates periodically wet soil.
• Shade Tolerance: Intermediate
• Growth Habit: Multi-stemmed/Thicket-forming
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-7
• Pollinator Value: Supports bees

Planting Guidance

• Susceptible to viburnum leaf beetle, which can completely defoliate and eventually kill the plant with repeated damage - monitor and treat early if infestation appears. Prune annually just after flowering to maintain size; berries are edible once seeds are removed, tart and rich in vitamin C.