Saratoga Springs, New York

Bird Gardener:  Summer

Vibrant Viburnums


by Lynn Hasslerl

Plants in the genus Viburnum are excellent additions to the bird garden.  Members of the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae), this large and diverse group of shrubs or small trees grows in many parts of North America.  Most grow naturally in open wetlands and thickets and tend to favor moist soils in the garden setting.  Equally at home in cultivated or wild landscapes, they are useful for creating dense borders and are sought out by birds for cover and shelter.  But the real draw of these plants is their tasty fruits, favored by many birds, including warblers, thrushes, catbirds, thrashers, woodpeckers, and waxwings, among others.

Viburnums have clusters of creamy white flowers that smell faintly sweet at first, but become less pleasant smelling as the flowers mature.  The berries that follow the flowers are more showy.  Pleasing to the eye, the decorative fruits may last only a week or two because they are quickly consumed by birds.

Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) grows from Maine to Illinois and south to Texas and Florida.  The species name dentatum means "with teeth," a reference to the jagged margins of the leaves.  Creamy white flowers appear in late spring and are followed by blue-black fruits.  This rounded or vase-shaped shrub grows to 12 feet tall with a 4- to 10-foot spread.

The rather odd common name of nannyberry is applied to "Viburnum lentago."  The name comes from the odor of the flowers, which have been likened to the smell of a wet goat.  Now that's a selling point!  Another name for the plant is sheepberry. Tough and adaptable, this species tolerates drier soils than some of its relatives.  It may be found growing naturally from Quebec to southern Saskatchewan, south to Montana, Colorado, Missouri, and east to New Jersey.  The berries change color from green to red to blue-black.

American cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus var. americanum) produces tart bright red berries that develop in late summer.  Cranberrybush grows to 15 feet tall and 4- to 10-feet wide.  An advantage of this species is that it often holds its fruits through the winter, thereby providing food for early spring migrants. 

One downside to this group of plants is the viburnum leaf beetle, a non-native insect from Europe that was first found in North America in 1947.  Its larvae emerge in the spring and feed on new leaves.  They can completely defoliate the plant.  We can only hope that more of our feathered friends will find the larvae to their liking, helping to keep numbers in check.

Ask your local nursery for the viburnums that are available in your region.  In addition to the handsome decorative fruits, deciduous varieties of viburnum produce colorful shows each fall, the leaves turning yellow, orange and then red.  These are relatively care-free plants once established, and are sure to attract birds.