• Photo of Viburnum davidii (Viburnum davidiis)

Plant Profile: Viburnum davidii

Names

David Viburnum

  • Photo of Viburnum davidii (Viburnum davidiis)

Phonetic Spelling:vih-BUR-num duh-VID-ee-eye

Genus:Viburnum

Species:davidii

Family:Viburnaceae

David viburnum is a reliable, compact shrub that boasts stunning foliage along with appealing flowers and fruit, providing visual interest throughout much of the year. While it is typically evergreen, it may lose its leaves in the colder northern regions of its growth range. To ensure effective cross-pollination and a vibrant display of winter fruit that attracts songbirds, it’s advisable to plant both male and female specimens. This shrub serves well as a natural screen or hedge and can be effectively used in borders or alongside building foundations. It thrives in sunny to partially shaded areas with moist, well-drained soil. In hotter climates, offering some afternoon shade can help prevent summer leaf scorch.

Regarding pests and diseases, David viburnum generally faces no significant issues, although it may experience leaf scorch in particularly hot summer conditions.

Viburnum davidii Feature Summary

Viburnum davidii Image Gallery

Tags

#evergreen
#showy flowers
#deciduous
#full sun tolerant
#showy berries
#white flowers
#shrub
#showy
#spring flowers
#winter interest
#playground
#hedges
#deer resistant
#children's garden
#foundation planting
#edible fruits
#borders
#pollinator plant
#bird friendly
#butterfly friendly
#partial shade tolerant

Similar Plants

Viburnum davidii Feature Summary

Attributes
Fruit attracts birds as a winter food source.  This plant is mildly resistant to damage by deer. Attracts butterflies
Edible fruit
Wildlife Food Source
Attracts Pollinators
Attractive Flowers
Fruit
Green fruit turns iridescent pink to red then metallic blue and black on red stems and persists into winter.
Red/Burgundy
Pink
Black
Blue
< 1 inch
Flowers
Pink buds open creamy white on 2 to 3" clusters in spring.
Pink
White
Cream/Tan
4-5 petals/rays
< 1 inch
Leaves
2-6 inch long oval thick leathery dark blue-green leaves are deeply veined laterally and have variable fall colors of dull crimson, orange-red or purple.
Deciduous
Broadleaf Evergreen
Green
Blue
Purple/Lavender
Orange
Red/Burgundy
Elliptical
Ovate
3-6 inches
Leathery
1-3 inches
Stem
Stems of drupes are red in fall
Green
Red/Burgundy
Whole Plant Traits
Deciduous
Broadleaf Evergreen
Rounded
Dense
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Coastal
Piedmont
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Edible Garden
Pollinator Garden
Children's Garden
Winter Garden
Border
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Recreational Play Area
Woodland
Butterflies
Songbirds

Viburnum davidii Attributes

Viburnum davidii: Country Or Region Of Origin

China

Viburnum davidii: Wildlife Value

Fruit attracts birds as a winter food source.  This plant is mildly resistant to damage by deer. Attracts butterflies

Viburnum davidii: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Viburnum davidii: Play Value

Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer

Viburnum davidii Fruit

Viburnum davidii: Fruit Description

Green fruit turns iridescent pink to red then metallic blue and black on red stems and persists into winter.

Viburnum davidii: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Viburnum davidii: Fruit Color

grass
Black
grass
Blue
grass
Pink
grass
Red/Burgundy

Viburnum davidii: Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Viburnum davidii: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Viburnum davidii: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Viburnum davidii: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Viburnum davidii Flowers

Viburnum davidii: Flower Description

Pink buds open creamy white on 2 to 3" clusters in spring.

Viburnum davidii: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Cream/Tan
filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
White

Viburnum davidii: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Viburnum davidii: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Viburnum davidii: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Viburnum davidii: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Viburnum davidii: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Viburnum davidii: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Viburnum davidii Leaves

Viburnum davidii: Leaf Description

2-6 inch long oval thick leathery dark blue-green leaves are deeply veined laterally and have variable fall colors of dull crimson, orange-red or purple.

Viburnum davidii: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Viburnum davidii: Leaf Color

spa
Blue
spa
Green

Viburnum davidii: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Orange
spa
Purple/Lavender
spa
Red/Burgundy

Viburnum davidii: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Viburnum davidii: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Viburnum davidii: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Viburnum davidii: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Viburnum davidii: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Viburnum davidii: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Viburnum davidii: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Viburnum davidii: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Viburnum davidii Stem

Viburnum davidii: Stem Description

Stems of drupes are red in fall

Viburnum davidii: Stem Color

grass
Green
grass
Red/Burgundy

Viburnum davidii: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Viburnum davidii Whole Plant Traits

Viburnum davidii: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Viburnum davidii: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Viburnum davidii: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Viburnum davidii: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Viburnum davidii: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Viburnum davidii: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Viburnum davidii Cultural Conditions

Viburnum davidii: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Viburnum davidii: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Viburnum davidii: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Viburnum davidii: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Viburnum davidii: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Viburnum davidii: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Viburnum davidii Landscape

Viburnum davidii: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Viburnum davidii: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Viburnum davidii: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Viburnum davidii: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Viburnum davidii: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees