• Photo of Viburnum utile (Viburnum utiles)

Plant Profile: Viburnum utile

Names

Service Viburnum

  • Photo of Viburnum utile (Viburnum utiles)

Phonetic Spelling:vih-BUR-num YOO-tih-lee

Genus:Viburnum

Species:utile

Family:Viburnaceae

Service Viburnum is a shrub native to China, characterized by its somewhat open and occasionally leggy growth habit. When exposed to full sunlight, these plants tend to be more compact. In the southern regions of its habitat, it remains evergreen and typically reaches heights of 4 to 8 feet, with a comparable width. The flowers are both fragrant and visually striking, but to produce fruit, it requires the presence of at least one other shrub. This plant is resilient to heat and adaptable to various soil types and pH levels. While it boasts attractive glossy leaves and heat resistance, it is infrequently utilized in garden settings.

Viburnum utile Feature Summary

Viburnum utile Image Gallery

Tags

#evergreen
#showy flowers
#full sun tolerant
#heat tolerant
#white flowers
#shrub
#berries
#deer resistant
#borders
#bird friendly
#partial shade tolerant

Similar Plants

Viburnum utile is often confused with:

Viburnum utile Feature Summary

Attributes
Mildly resistant to deer. Birds eat the berries.
Fruit
0.2 in. red to bluish-black drupe
Black
Blue
< 1 inch
Flowers
2-3 inch cymes with pink buds opening to waxy tubular white flowers in abundance.
Pink
White
4-5 petals/rays
Tubular
Saucer
< 1 inch
Leaves
2.5 by 1 inch leathery dark green leaves with a wavy appearance. Undersides are whitish with sparse star-shaped hairs. Winter color is purple-tinged.
Green
White
Ovate
Oblong
Lanceolate
3-6 inches
Leathery
1-3 inches
Bark
Grayish-brown bark
Whole Plant Traits
Multi-stemmed
Dense
Open
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)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand

Viburnum utile Attributes

Viburnum utile: Country Or Region Of Origin

China

Viburnum utile: Wildlife Value

Mildly resistant to deer. Birds eat the berries.

Viburnum utile: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Viburnum utile: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Viburnum utile Fruit

Viburnum utile: Fruit Description

0.2 in. red to bluish-black drupe

Viburnum utile: Fruit Type

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

Viburnum utile: Fruit Color

grass
Black
grass
Blue

Viburnum utile: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Viburnum utile: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Viburnum utile: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Viburnum utile Flowers

Viburnum utile: Flower Description

2-3 inch cymes with pink buds opening to waxy tubular white flowers in abundance.

Viburnum utile: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
White

Viburnum utile: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Viburnum utile: Flower Value To Gardener

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

Viburnum utile: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Viburnum utile: 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 utile: Flower Shape

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

Viburnum utile: Flower Size

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

Viburnum utile Leaves

Viburnum utile: Leaf Description

2.5 by 1 inch leathery dark green leaves with a wavy appearance. Undersides are whitish with sparse star-shaped hairs. Winter color is purple-tinged.

Viburnum utile: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Viburnum utile: Leaf Color

spa
Green
spa
White

Viburnum utile: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Purple/Lavender

Viburnum utile: Leaf Type

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

Viburnum utile: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Viburnum utile: 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 utile: Leaf Margin

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

Viburnum utile: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Viburnum utile: Leaf Length

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

Viburnum utile: Leaf Feel

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

Viburnum utile: Leaf Width

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

Viburnum utile Bark

Viburnum utile: Bark Description

Grayish-brown bark

Viburnum utile Whole Plant Traits

Viburnum utile: 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 utile: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Viburnum utile: 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 utile: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Viburnum utile: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Viburnum utile: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Viburnum utile Cultural Conditions

Viburnum utile: 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 utile: Soil pH

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

Viburnum utile: Soil Drainage

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

Viburnum utile: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Viburnum utile: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Viburnum utile: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Viburnum utile Stem

Viburnum utile: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Viburnum utile Landscape

Viburnum utile: 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 utile: 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