Viburnum prunifolium (Blackhaw Viburnum) Unity Grown

Viburnum prunifolium, commonly referred to as blackhaw viburnum, is a large deciduous shrub with a suckering habit, commonly found through much of the American mid-east, from Texas northeastward up to New York. Commonly growing in a multi-stemmed form, blackhaw can reach 10-20' tall and 6-15' wide in a mounded shape. As a viburnum, blackhaw produces showy lacecap clusters of white flowers in the spring and, although flowers are not fragrant, these blooms are highly attractive to a wide variety of pollinators, with members of the viburnum genus playing host to more than 100 species of caterpillar! After it flowers, pollinated blooms turn to blue-black berry-like fruits that add further interest to its showy purple-red fall colors.

Viburnum prunifolium grows best in full sun to partial shade and is typically found in the wild along streambanks, in thickets, and generally in wooded environments where it feeds pollinators with its flowers and small mammals and birds with its fruit. Blackhaw also provides shelter to a number of small animal species among its many dense branches. As it typically grows in a variety of locations locations, and as it can grow to a rather large size, Viburnum prunifolium is an excellent specimen plant, but also works great for large hedges or borders or for naturalizing as an understory plant in woodland areas. In the home garden, blackhaw will do best in average, medium-dry soils, but will tolerate clay and black walnut soils, as well as drought and deer damage, making it a hardy choice for a lot of different locations!