Cranberry Bush Viburnum
Viburnum opulus
Viburnaceae · deciduous shrub · introduced
Last updated
Cranberry bush viburnum tolerates the poorly drained soils that characterize much of the Puget Sound lowlands. It handles seasonal flooding, poor drainage, and part shade. The maple-like leaves turn gold to burgundy in fall, and the translucent red berries persist into winter as bird food. The flat-topped white flower clusters in May-June include a ring of showy sterile flowers surrounding smaller fertile ones. The plant is documented as weedy in some regions, spreading by seed. In our climate, aphid pressure can be heavy, causing leaf curling that looks terrible but is rarely fatal. The compact cultivar 'Nanum' stays under 3 feet for border plantings. For a large shrub on a wet, poorly drained site, cranberry bush viburnum is one of the few plants that genuinely thrives rather than merely surviving.
— Chris Welch, ISA Certified Arborist
Cranberry bush viburnum (European cranberry, guelder-rose) is a deciduous shrub reaching 12-16 ft with dense, erect, spreading form and rapid growth. It produces white flowers on 2-4 in. flat-topped clusters with larger sterile flowers surrounding fertile ones. Fall foliage ranges from gold to burgundy.
Cranberry bush viburnum is hardy in zones 2a-8b and adapts to sun to part shade with moist to well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil (pH 6.0-8.0). It has high maintenance needs and is documented as weedy in some regions. It attracts bees, butterflies, and songbirds.