• Photo of Viburnum foetidum (Viburnum foetidums)

Plant Profile: Viburnum foetidum

Names

Himalayan Evergreen Viburnum, Stinking Viburnum

  • Photo of Viburnum foetidum (Viburnum foetidums)

Phonetic Spelling:

Genus:Viburnum

Species:foetidum

Family:Viburnaceae

Stinking Viburnum is an evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub, characterized by its white flowers, and is indigenous to Tibet and Indo-China. This plant typically grows to about 10 feet in height and width. Its common name is derived from the foul odor released by the leaves when crushed. During late spring to early summer, it produces clusters of white blossoms, which are later succeeded by red berries that are safe to eat raw. The leaves of this shrub can vary significantly even on the same plant.

For optimal growth, it should be planted in moist, well-drained soil and can thrive in full sun to partial shade. It serves well as a foundation plant, as part of a hedge or shrub border, or as a standalone specimen.

Viburnum foetidum Feature Summary

Viburnum foetidum Image Gallery

Tags

#showy flowers
#showy berries
#specimen
#white flowers
#shrub
#semi-evergreen
#hedges
#edible fruits
#evergreen shrub
#malodorous
#shrub borders

Similar Plants

Viburnum foetidum Feature Summary

Attributes
Bark is used to make fishing nets.
Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Tibet
Fruits can be eaten raw.
Fruit
Small red fruits are broadly oval to orbicular and 1⁄4 in. wide.
Red/Burgundy
< 1 inch
Flowers
Tubular white petaled flowers with purple anthers in 2-3 inch clusters. Blooms May- July
Purple/Lavender
White
4-5 petals/rays
< 1 inch
Leaves
1-3 inches long by .5 to 1.5 inch wide shiny green leaves have an unpleasant fragrance when crushed. They are broadly ovate with a rounded base varying to broadly elliptic and obovate, shallowly toothed to entire, finely downy especially on the veins. Born on red stems.
Broadleaf Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Elliptical
Ovate
Obovate
Entire
Serrate
1-3 inches
< 1 inch
Bark
Light brown bark
Light Brown
Stem
New branches are yellow-brownish stellate-pubescent. Older stems are purple-brown, terete, glabrous, with dispersed, small, rounded lenticels. Winter buds have 2 pairs of scales
Brown/Copper
Purple/Lavender
Gold/Yellow
Hairy (pubescent)
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Edible
Broadleaf Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Multi-stemmed
Rounded
Erect
Dense
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)
Good Drainage
Moist
Coastal
Piedmont
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Edible Garden
Border
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Specimen
Pollinators
Songbirds
Malodorous

Viburnum foetidum Attributes

Viburnum foetidum: Uses (Ethnobotany)

Bark is used to make fishing nets.

Viburnum foetidum: Country Or Region Of Origin

Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Tibet

Viburnum foetidum: Edibility

Fruits can be eaten raw.

Viburnum foetidum: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Viburnum foetidum Fruit

Viburnum foetidum: Fruit Description

Small red fruits are broadly oval to orbicular and 1⁄4 in. wide.

Viburnum foetidum: Fruit Type

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

Viburnum foetidum: Fruit Color

grass
Red/Burgundy

Viburnum foetidum: Fruit Value To Gardener

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

Viburnum foetidum: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Viburnum foetidum: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Viburnum foetidum: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Viburnum foetidum Flowers

Viburnum foetidum: Flower Description

Tubular white petaled flowers with purple anthers in 2-3 inch clusters. Blooms May- July

Viburnum foetidum: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Purple/Lavender
filter_vintage
White

Viburnum foetidum: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Viburnum foetidum: Flower Value To Gardener

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

Viburnum foetidum: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Viburnum foetidum: 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 foetidum: Flower Shape

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

Viburnum foetidum: Flower Size

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

Viburnum foetidum Leaves

Viburnum foetidum: Leaf Description

1-3 inches long by .5 to 1.5 inch wide shiny green leaves have an unpleasant fragrance when crushed. They are broadly ovate with a rounded base varying to broadly elliptic and obovate, shallowly toothed to entire, finely downy especially on the veins. Born on red stems.

Viburnum foetidum: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Viburnum foetidum: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Viburnum foetidum: Leaf Type

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

Viburnum foetidum: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Viburnum foetidum: 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 foetidum: Leaf Margin

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

Viburnum foetidum: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Viburnum foetidum: Leaf Length

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

Viburnum foetidum: Leaf Feel

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

Viburnum foetidum: Leaf Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy

Viburnum foetidum: Leaf Width

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

Viburnum foetidum Bark

Viburnum foetidum: Bark Description

Light brown bark

Viburnum foetidum: Bark Color

grass
Light Brown

Viburnum foetidum Stem

Viburnum foetidum: Stem Description

New branches are yellow-brownish stellate-pubescent. Older stems are purple-brown, terete, glabrous, with dispersed, small, rounded lenticels. Winter buds have 2 pairs of scales

Viburnum foetidum: Stem Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Gold/Yellow
grass
Purple/Lavender

Viburnum foetidum: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Viburnum foetidum: Stem Cross Section

Angular
Oval
Round
Square

Viburnum foetidum: Stem Surface

Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)

Viburnum foetidum: Stem Buds

Hairy
Hairy tips
Scaly
Smooth/Hairless

Viburnum foetidum Whole Plant Traits

Viburnum foetidum: 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 foetidum: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Viburnum foetidum: 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 foetidum: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Viburnum foetidum: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Viburnum foetidum Cultural Conditions

Viburnum foetidum: 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 foetidum: Soil pH

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

Viburnum foetidum: Soil Drainage

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

Viburnum foetidum: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Viburnum foetidum: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

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

Viburnum foetidum: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Viburnum foetidum Landscape

Viburnum foetidum: 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 foetidum: 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 foetidum: 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 foetidum: Attracts

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

Viburnum foetidum: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy