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Luzon Viburnum

Viburnum luzonicum (vy-BUR-num loo-ZAWN-ih-cum)

Family: Viburnaceae Non-native Understory (15-40 ft)

Luzon Viburnum is a large deciduous shrub native to open woodlands, roadsides and disturbed areas of eastern Asia. It is rarely grown in the USA. The shrub can grow to 15 feet tall with a similar spread and is variable in leaf shape and form depending on its habitat. It is generally a dense, twiggy, rounded to haystack shrub that makes a good hedge. Plant in the full sun to partial shade in high organic matter well-drained soils. Mature plants tolerate some drought. Flowers are small and white and have a slighly unplesant fragrance. Flowers are followed by rounded fruits that start off red and turn black giving fall and winter intrest to the plant. Leaves also provide fall and winter intrest by turning purple-red. Leaves often remain on the plant through winter until new growth occurs in the spring. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases. More information on Viburnum .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 51 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in. | Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Broad; Dense; Multi-stemmed; Rounded
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Simple, 4" long elliptical to ovate. Red-purple fall color. Variable leaf shapes depending on habitat. They can be oval to oblong to ovate
Fall color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Cup
Flower detail
Small umbel-like cymes of white flowers bloom mid to late spring. The fragrance is slightly unpleasant.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Black; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Round fruits start out red and mature to black. Sparsely produced.
Bark color
Dark Brown
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
China, Pillippines, Taiwan, Vietnam
Attracts
Pollinators; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Winter
Fruit type
Drupe
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Woodland
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Foundation Planting; Hedge; Screen/Privacy
Garden tags
#privacy #malodorous #foundation planting #deciduous shrub #deciduous #low maintenance #black fruits #drought tolerant #red fruits #fruits fall #fall interest #winter interest #fall color red #fall color purple #winter color red #winter color purple #white flowers #spring flowers #large shrub #winter fruits #hedge #th-sight #woodland #screen #bat friendly #moth friendly
Problems & Resistance
Other problems
Purple Mite
Resistant to
Drought

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.