southern arrowwood
Viburnum dentatum · Caprifoliaceae
southern arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) is a perennial shrub in the Caprifoliaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 4 and warmer, down to about -24°F.
At a glance
| Type | shrub Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 8 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 4.5–7.3 USDA |
| Bloom | March–April USDA |
| Flower color | White USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 4 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | shrub Derived |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 4.5 to 7.3 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 4.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 8 ft, making it a plant that will finish above head height. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through April. Flowers are white.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is yellow-green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its active growth period is spring. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 32 to 100 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 163 frost-free days to finish its season. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Seed is the only propagation method USDA lists. Division and cuttings are not listed as options. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a rapid rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its growth form is recorded as multiple stem.
Role in a guild
Shrub layer. In a layered planting this is woody mid-level structure between the understory and the ground. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Viburnum
- mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium
- squashberry Viburnum edule
- wayfaringtree Viburnum lantana
- hobblebush Viburnum lantanoides
Similar role and hardiness
- whitethorn ceanothus Ceanothus cordulatus
- yellow rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus
- coastal sweetpepperbush Clethra alnifolia
- quince Cydonia oblonga
- slender pride of Rochester Deutzia gracilis
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol VIDED4, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, Edible, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, vegetative spread rate.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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