Viburnum Species, American Cranberrybush, Crampbark Tree, Gueldres-Rose, Dog Rowan Tree

This shrub has maple-like leaves and nice fall color. It can get large, about 10 feet tall, and given time can spread and form a kind of ...Read Morethicket that is a good screen in summer. It flowers a fair amount even in shade, but needs sun to produce much fruit.

The flowers and berries on this native shrub are lovely and make it worthy of any yard. It does get large, so site accordingly. Ours make...Read More a dense hedge along one side of the back yard. The branches will root where they touch the ground, so it is easily propagated. Pinching new growth in the spring helps it to branch and grow with a better form. Although this is a shrub for sun, we have some growing under a pine tree and others under a pecan tree. They are smaller than the ones in the sun, but are just as healthy and beautiful.

We have a hedge of this bush down one side of our property--bushes are now 15 years old, and some have died completely. We want to re-i...Read Morenterplant with new ones. The wood and berries have a rotten odor when they are crushed or pruned--very unexpected to me. the fall color is beautiful, and we had a flock of cedar waxwings come thru every February and feed off the
leftover berries. The bushes seem to get weedy as they grow, not filling out as we would like. Any pruning hints would be appreciated.

The American cranberrybush is native to the northeastern and northwestern US and is found in low rich woods and borders of fields from Ne...Read Morew Jersey, Michigan, and Oregon northward. It grows from 8'-10' high with generally erect branches. The showy, snow white flower clusters are 3"-4" across and bloom in early June. The red fruits ripen late in the season and persist into winter. The fruits are edible, but sour and persist into winter. Fall foliage is red to purple. It prefers well drained, moist soil in sun to partial shade.

The american cranberrybush is useful in shrub borders, as a small flowering tree, bird attract and, in hedges, as a barrier, and is useful for flowers and fruit.