Gerald L. Klingaman
Family
Caprifoliaceae
Botanical Name
Viburnum setigerum
Plant Common Name
Tea Viburnum
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
The beauty of this shrub is in its vase-shaped habit, spring clusters of white flowers and bright red berries that shine in fall before being plucked away by wildlife. Tea viburnum is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub native to central and western China where it naturally grows in open forests, along woodland edges and in open, scrubby areas.
The many thin trunks of tea viburnum are smooth gray-brown with light fissures and often free of foliage and twigs. The foliage is concentrated on the upper half on the arching stems. The blue-green to dark green leaves are ovate-lanceolate with tiny teeth along the edges. In autumn they turn coppery red before dropping. In late spring, small clusters of tiny white flowers dot the arching canopy, attracting butterflies and bees. Small dangling clusters of berries, which turn from green to red, persist into late autumn.
Grow tea viburnum in full to partial sun; flowering and fruiting is heaviest in full sun. Soil should be fertile, moist, well-drained and have a neutral pH. This shrub has an open base which allows low-growing shrubs and perennials to be planted beneath. Leggy and unkempt specimens can be pruned back severely in early spring and allowed to rejuvenate. The cultivar 'Aurantiacum' produces orange-yellow berries.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
7 - 5
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USDA Hardiness Zone
5 - 7
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Sunset Zone
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
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Plant Type
Shrub
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
8'-12' / 2.4m - 3.7m
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Width
6'-10' / 1.8m - 3.0m
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Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
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Native To
China
Special Characteristics
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Bark Texture
Fissured
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Usage
Foundation, Mixed Border
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
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Self-Sowing
Yes
