Viburnum, Arrowwood, Bare Root

Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum)

A dense, adaptable shrub for mixed hedges and habitat edges. White flowers are followed by blue-black fruit when compatible plants flower together.

Key Characteristics

Food close to cover

Songbirds, grouse, and wild turkeys eat the fruit. A broad hedge supplies shelter beside the feeding area instead of isolating fruit on one exposed specimen.

Choose another arrowwood for fruit

These are seed-grown plants, so two seedlings offer genetic differences. Pair within this species rather than assuming every viburnum in the catalog is a pollination partner.

Manage as a layered hedge

Allow its branching form to develop or remove selected stems at the base. Prune after flowering only when needed so the planting retains flowers and fruit.

Product Details

• Native range: Eastern North America
• Life cycle: Deciduous woody perennial
• Sun: Full Sun; Part Sun/Shade
• Soil moisture: Medium-Dry; Medium; Medium-Wet
• Mature height: 5–10 feet
• Bloom: April–May–June
• Bloom color: White
• USDA hardiness zones: 2–8
• Fruit or seed: Blue-black drupes in late summer and fall, especially useful for birds.
• Pollination: Plant at least two genetically distinct arrowwood seedlings with overlapping bloom for better fruiting; other viburnum species are not guaranteed substitutes.

Planting and Ongoing Care

Keep bare roots moist until planting, water the root zone during establishment, and mulch without covering the crown. Base fertilizer on a soil test; our Tree Planting Kit fertilizer blend can be used according to its label when feeding is needed.

Watch for viburnum leaf beetle where present. Inspect young foliage and remove egg-bearing twigs during dormancy when practical; avoid spraying open flowers. Avoid insecticides on open flowers. Seed-grown plants vary in growth, flowering, and fruiting.