Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Family Viburnaceae
Arrowwood viburnum runs the whole calendar: creamy pollinator-plate flowers in late spring, blue-black berries that birds strip in weeks come September, then foliage that turns deep wine-red. It's a native that grows practically anywhere and never has an off season.
As a hedge or screen it does everything a privacy fence does while feeding the neighborhood: bees in bloom, birds at berry time. The berries are for them, not for snacking. One catch worth knowing: plant two different cultivars, or the berry show never happens.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Moderate-Fast growth
Native to North America
Attracts bees- Needs a pollination partner
From the print shop
Growing arrowwood viburnum? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries arrowwood viburnum — Viburnum dentatum, print Nº 495, “Arrowwood Viburnum.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what arrowwood viburnum actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-8PollinationPartner neededArrowwood Viburnum · Common problems
Common arrowwood viburnum problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- VIBURNUM LEAF BEETLE (the new threat — skeletonized leaves; prune out egg-studded twigs in winter)
Diseases
2 problems on file
Pollination
Poor pollination → low fruit set (plant a partner)
Arrowwood Viburnum · Growing & propagation
Growing arrowwood viburnum
- Light
- Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water
- Moderate; adaptable
Soil- Any decent soil · pH 5.5 - 6.5
Fertilizer- None needed
Pruning- After flowering if needed
Renewal-prune oldest canes occasionally; otherwise hands off.
Spacing- 6-8 ft
How to plant & propagate arrowwood viburnum
- Propagate
- Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering
Arrowwood Viburnum · Seasonal care & spray guidance
The arrowwood viburnum growing playbook
When to spray arrowwood viburnum
Dormant season. Winter twig inspection where leaf beetle has arrived.
Growing season. Resistant species exist; arrowwood is sadly a favorite — monitor.
Arrowwood Viburnum · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Arrowwood Viburnum · Yearly calendar
The arrowwood viburnum year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
Bloom
HarvestBloomMay to June
HarvestSeptember
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Harvest — picking time — check ripeness every few days.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Arrowwood Viburnum · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Viburnum dentatum
Arrowwood Viburnum in the garden system
- Shrub layer shrub
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Bees, Birds
Habitat- Dry/rocky
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
- Origin
- Native to North America
What arrowwood viburnum is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesMildly toxic raw (berries fine for birds, not snacking)
- Use
- Wildlife hedges
- Use
- Native screens
- Use
- Fall color
Harvesting & storing arrowwood viburnum
Blue-black berries September (birds strip them in weeks).
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Arrowwood Viburnum · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a arrowwood viburnum variety
'Blue Muffin' (compact — needs a different-cultivar date to fruit); 'Chicago Lustre'; straight species (best wildlife value)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
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Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Viburnum dentatum
- Plant family
- Viburnaceae
- Growth habit
- Shrub · Perennial
- Origin
- Native to North America
- USDA plant symbol
- VIDE
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
for Arrowwood Viburnum
Research from these sources
Publisher marks identify sources, not sponsorship or endorsement.
Questions
Arrowwood Viburnum questions, answered straight.
Why isn't my arrowwood viburnum fruiting?
Most often: it has no genetically distinct partner nearby. Arrowwood Viburnum can't pollinate itself — cross-pollination: two different cultivars = heavy berry set. Plant a second, unrelated one nearby; two different cultivars, or a cultivar plus a seedling, is the classic pairing.
Is arrowwood viburnum safe for kids and pets?
With care. Mildly toxic raw (berries fine for birds, not snacking) Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
When do you harvest arrowwood viburnum?
Blue-black berries September (birds strip them in weeks).
How do you propagate arrowwood viburnum?
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
Elsewhere
Where arrowwood viburnum sits in the library.
Rose
Hydrangea
Common Lilac
Forsythia