• Home
  • About Me
  • Plant Questions & Answers
  • Get Yard Help
  • Newsletter Archive
  • Contact

Yard Doc Carol

Walter’s Viburnum for the Landscape and Native Gardens

March 22, 2021 By Carol Cloud Bailey Leave a Comment

22 Mar

A terrific plant is just coming into bloom that is not often used in the landscape and native gardens, though it is an outstanding choice for many conditions. Walter’s Viburnum or Viburnum obovatum, is a native plant to a large portion of the U.S. and deserves more attention and use.

Walters Viburnum has attractive flowers that are short-lived.

Walter’s Viburnum is a variably sized shrub or small tree named by Thomas Walter (1740-89), an English-born gardener from South Carolina. It has a wide native growing range, from Pennsylvania/Maryland through South Florida and westward up the California coast. This Viburnum has several forms and varieties, all slow growing.

Neat and tidy, Walter’s Viburnum leaves are opposite, 1 to 2.5 inches long and usually evergreen or semi-deciduous, somewhat spoon-shaped with the narrow end attached to the stem. They occasionally have small teeth towards the tip and are bright, shiny, dark, or olive green. The flowers are attractive, pure white, held in rounded clusters called umbels, 1 -2 inches across. Individually, the flowers are 5-petaled, star-shaped, small, appearing in late winter to early spring and last only for a few short weeks. The small fruit, less than 1/3 of an inch across, follows the flowers and is a berry that changes color from green to pink to red to black in the fall.

A variable plant, the common species usually grows 8 to 30 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide. However, several compact cultivars (cultivated varieties) are available. These selections are useful in small landscapes, beds, and as layers in hedging around the building foundation. Some cultivars can be pruned as short as 3 to 4 feet for a tight hedge or bed edging.

Walter’s Viburnum is an easy-to-grow, tolerant plant. It will flourish in full sun or part shade. When mature, Walter’s V grows in a wide range of soils from occasionally wet to well-drained. When newly transplanted, water regularly for six months to a year until well established. Though Walter’s V is often found in moist locations when growing in the wild, it has some drought tolerance once it settles in.

Walter’s Viburnum has a fine texture that makes it suitable for shearing into formal hedges and shapes. However, it has a lovely lacy texture when pruned minimally by hand. If a hedge is the goal, choose one of the compact or dwarf varieties; they are a bit slow-growing, making constant pruning unnecessary. Few pests are known to cause these adaptable native plants problems. Walter’s Viburnum may be challenging to find but is worth the effort.

This column first appeared in the Treasure Coast Newspapers.

Filed Under: Plant Questions & Answers Tagged With: native plant, spring flowering shrub, Viburnum, Viburnum obovatum, Walter’s Viburnum, white flowers

Previous Post: « Screw pines are worth the mess
Next Post: Marigolds for bright color as the weather changes »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Follow me!

Recent Posts

  • Yummy turkey is all in the wood and brine
  • Considerations About Pruning Southern Magnolia
  • Work in the garden in the heat; you’re kidding.
  • Silent Firecrackers for the Garden and Others in July
  • Resurrection Fern Thrives When It Rains

Recent Comments

  • Carol Cloud Bailey on Screw pines are worth the mess
  • Sue on Screw pines are worth the mess
  • Carol Cloud Bailey on Invasive Curly-tailed Lizards in Florida
  • victoria on Invasive Curly-tailed Lizards in Florida
  • John on Plant and prune trees right for best results during hurricane season

Monthly Gardening Tips & Garden Articles Archives

Monthly Newsletter – Florida Landscaping Tips

Subscribe

* indicates required

Categories

  • Newsletter Archives (7)
  • Plant Questions & Answers (100)
  • Uncategorized (6)

Monthly Newsletter – Florida Landscaping Tips

Subscribe

* indicates required

Connect With Me!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Customer Service

  • Online Plant Help

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact

Learn More

  • Newsletter Archive
  • Plant Questions & Answers

Copyright © 2025 · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT