One of the things I like most about viburnums is that they grow without a lot of fussing over them. Those that are native to North America are especially adaptable. For example, although Southern blackhaw viburnum (V. rufidulum) grows as an understory shrub in the Piedmont, it will take full sun in good soil. This viburnum makes a fine specimen. Its rounded leaves turn burgundy in fall. Accented by blue drupes of fruit, it is breathtaking against a backdrop of evergreens. Another native, arrowwood viburnum (V. dentatum), adapts to many soil conditions. It weathered a recent drought here without looking the least bit straggly.

If you need a reliable shrub for deep shade with moist soil, consider hobblebush viburnum (V. alnifolium, also known as V. lantanoides). Hiking in New Hampshire recently, I came across the loveliest stand of hobblebush I've ever seen. Limbs that had fallen on the ground had taken root and formed a colony. Nannyberry viburnum (V. lentago) is another native that enjoys moist shade, but it can also adapt to sun and dry soil. It has creamy-white lacecap flowers in mid-to late May here in Connecticut. Its fruit--½ inch drupes--turns shades of yellow, rose, pink, and finally, bluish-black. Sometimes all shades are showing at once.

A close kin to these two natives is blackhaw viburnum (V. prunifolium). While it prefers dry feet, it's adaptable to many soil types, and to sunny and shady sites. Its dark-green foliage turns purplish-red in fall, and its fruit turns from pink to bluish-black, with a waxy, gray bloom. I find it makes a great small, single-stem tree.

Most viburnums grow best in full sun but are just as content in light to partial shade. Except for a few varieties, noted in the charts on pages 40 and 42, give them moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil with a pH from 5.6 to 6.6. When viburnums enjoy good air circulation, they rarely suffer from fungal diseases. If they're content in their site, they're usually not bothered by pests.

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