• Photo of Viburnum lantana (Viburnum lantanas)

Plant Profile: Viburnum lantana

Taxonomy: Viburnum lantana

Names

Wayfaringtree Viburnum

  • Photo of Viburnum lantana (Viburnum lantanas)

Phonetic Spelling:vih-BUR-num lahn-TAHN-ah

Genus:Viburnum

Species:lantana

Family:Viburnaceae

Wayfaringtree Viburnum is an invasive shrub known for its robust and bushy growth, making it an excellent choice for hedging. Its stems grow upright and spread out, resulting in a rounded appearance. To encourage new growth, it is advisable to prune older stems. For optimal fruit production, it is best to plant multiple shrubs in close proximity.

This shrub thrives in average, well-drained soil and prefers full sun to partial shade, demonstrating good adaptability to drier environments. However, due to its aggressive basal suckering, it is wise to consider planting a less invasive native viburnum instead. Please refer to the recommendations provided on the left for more options.

Viburnum lantana Feature Summary

Viburnum lantana Image Gallery

Tags

#deciduous
#full sun tolerant
#white flowers
#shrub
#red berries
#hedges
#aggressive
#deer resistant
#dense
#non-native
#suckers
#partial shade tolerant

Similar Plants

Viburnum lantana is often confused with:

Viburnum lantana Feature Summary

Attributes
Fruit
The fruit is green changing to red, red-orange, or red-yellow by mid-Summer, then maturing to black in late August and early September, in flat-topped clusters.
Green
Red/Burgundy
Black
Flowers
3-5 inch wide flat-topped cymes with creamy white blooms. Individual flowers have 5 petals and 5 stamens. The filaments are whitish with yellow anthers. Flower stems have fine white hairs. Bloom time is May.
White
Cream/Tan
4-5 petals/rays
< 1 inch
Leaves
Leaves are leathery, dull dark green to blue-green, 2 to 5 in. long, tomentose on the undersides and purplish-red fall color. Veins are sunken on the upper side and prominent on the undersides giving it a quilted appearance. The base is cordate to rounded and the apex is acute and pointed.
Green
Blue
Purple/Lavender
Red/Burgundy
Elliptical
Ovate
3-6 inches
Leathery
1-3 inches
Bark
The bark is initially smooth and gray with visible lenticels, becoming somewhat ripply and then scaly with age.
Dark Gray
Stem
Twigs are gray-brown with fine hair and leaf buds are without scales.
Brown/Copper
Gray/Silver
Hairy (pubescent)
No scales, covered in hair
Poisonous to Humans
Stomach upset and possibly diarrhea with eating large quantities of unripe fruit.
Whole Plant Traits
Multi-stemmed
Rounded
Erect
Dense
Spreading
Coarse
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)
Mountains
Piedmont
Landscape
Border
Hedge
Screen/Privacy
Drought
Deer
Compaction
Pollinators
Songbirds

Viburnum lantana Attributes

Viburnum lantana: Country Or Region Of Origin

Eurasia

Viburnum lantana: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Viburnum lantana Fruit

Viburnum lantana: Fruit Description

The fruit is green changing to red, red-orange, or red-yellow by mid-Summer, then maturing to black in late August and early September, in flat-topped clusters.

Viburnum lantana: Fruit Type

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

Viburnum lantana: Fruit Color

grass
Black
grass
Green
grass
Red/Burgundy

Viburnum lantana: Fruit Value To Gardener

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

Viburnum lantana: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Viburnum lantana Flowers

Viburnum lantana: Flower Description

3-5 inch wide flat-topped cymes with creamy white blooms. Individual flowers have 5 petals and 5 stamens. The filaments are whitish with yellow anthers. Flower stems have fine white hairs. Bloom time is May.

Viburnum lantana: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Cream/Tan
filter_vintage
White

Viburnum lantana: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Viburnum lantana: Flower Value To Gardener

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

Viburnum lantana: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Viburnum lantana: 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 lantana: Flower Shape

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

Viburnum lantana: Flower Size

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

Viburnum lantana Leaves

Viburnum lantana: Leaf Description

Leaves are leathery, dull dark green to blue-green, 2 to 5 in. long, tomentose on the undersides and purplish-red fall color. Veins are sunken on the upper side and prominent on the undersides giving it a quilted appearance. The base is cordate to rounded and the apex is acute and pointed.

Viburnum lantana: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Viburnum lantana: Leaf Color

spa
Blue
spa
Green

Viburnum lantana: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Purple/Lavender
spa
Red/Burgundy

Viburnum lantana: Leaf Type

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

Viburnum lantana: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Viburnum lantana: 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 lantana: Leaf Margin

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

Viburnum lantana: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Viburnum lantana: Leaf Length

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

Viburnum lantana: Leaf Feel

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

Viburnum lantana: Leaf Width

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

Viburnum lantana Bark

Viburnum lantana: Bark Description

The bark is initially smooth and gray with visible lenticels, becoming somewhat ripply and then scaly with age.

Viburnum lantana: Bark Color

grass
Dark Gray

Viburnum lantana Stem

Viburnum lantana: Stem Description

Twigs are gray-brown with fine hair and leaf buds are without scales.

Viburnum lantana: Stem Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Gray/Silver

Viburnum lantana: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Viburnum lantana: Stem Surface

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

Viburnum lantana: Stem Buds

Hairy
Hairy tips
Scaly
Smooth/Hairless

Viburnum lantana: Stem Bud Scales

Enclosed in 2 scales
Enclosed in a single cap like scale
Enclosed in more than 2 scales
No scales, covered in hair

Viburnum lantana Poisonous to Humans

Viburnum lantana: Poison Symptoms

Stomach upset and possibly diarrhea with eating large quantities of unripe fruit.

Viburnum lantana: Poison Toxic Principle

unknown

Viburnum lantana: Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Viburnum lantana: Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Viburnum lantana: Poison Part

Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems

Viburnum lantana Whole Plant Traits

Viburnum lantana: 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 lantana: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Viburnum lantana: 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 lantana: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Viburnum lantana: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Viburnum lantana: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Viburnum lantana Cultural Conditions

Viburnum lantana: 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 lantana: Soil pH

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

Viburnum lantana: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Viburnum lantana: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b

Viburnum lantana Landscape

Viburnum lantana: 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 lantana: 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 lantana: 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 lantana: Attracts

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

Viburnum lantana: 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