FNPS Plant Database
Viburnum obovatum
Nomenclature
Common Name:
Synonym(s):
Genus species:
Family:
Adoxaceae
Plant Specifics
Form:
Size:
Life Span:
Long-lived perennial
Flower Color:
Fruit Color:
Phenology:
Noted For:
Landscaping
Recommended Uses:
Considerations:
Availability:
Propagation:
Light:
Moisture Tolerance:
Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry
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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Somewhat long very dry periods
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:
Unknown
Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
Soil or Other Substrate:
Sand
Soil pH:
Suitable to Grow In:
8A,8B,9A,9B,10A

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.
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Vouchered In:
Ecology
Wildlife:
Larval host for the spring azure butterfly (Celastrina ladon). Both native and non-native viburnums (Viburnum spp.) attract a wide range of pollinators with strong scents that promise either a nectar or pollen reward. Scarab beetles of the genus Cetonia are particularly interesting viburnum pollinators, possessing branched hairs on their bodies that are similar to pollen-collecting hairs found on bees. These hairs ensure a better chance of cross-pollination for self-sterile viburnum species. Viburnums with long corolla tubes and sweet scents are most often pollinated by species belonging to the order Lepidoptera, while viburnums with shorter corolla tubes and muskier odors receive frequent visits from flies and small bees. This relationship corresponds to the size of the insect mouthparts. Most viburnums produce very little nectar despite the wide range of pollinators. The primary reward, at least for bees, is not nectar but pollen (Arnold Arboretum).
Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit.
Native Habitats:
Comments:
Ethnobotany:
General Comments:
Citations:
Gann, G.D., C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+). Small viburnum, Walter's viburnum [in] Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Vibuobov ). Accessed 2026. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, FL.
Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.
Huegel, Craig N. (2010). Native Plant Landscaping for Florida Wildlife. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Walker, Holly, and James Gagliardi. (2018). Shrubs and the Pollinators Who Love Them. ( https://arboretum.harvard.edu/arnoldia-stories/shrubs-and-the-pollinators-who-love-them/ ). Arnoldia Arboretum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.






