Viburnum nudum, commonly called smooth witherod, is a rounded, multi-stemmed, upright-spreading, deciduous shrub that typically grows in the wild to 5-12’ tall and as wide. It is native to low woods, swamps and bogs in the eastern and southeastern U.S. from Connecticut south to Florida and Louisiana. It features aromatic white flowers arranged in flat-topped clusters (cymes 2-5” wide) in May-June. Flowers are followed by clusters of ovoid berries that change color as they ripen, from light pink to deep pink to blue to purplish-black. The berries are highly acidic but edible. Elliptic to oblong-lanceolate glossy dark green leaves (to 4” long). Foliage sometimes turns an attractive maroon to dark red-purple in fall. In late summer to early fall, berries in shades of both deep pink and blue-purple often appear on the same cluster, in striking contrast to the foliage. This species is also sometimes commonly called possumhaw viburnum.
‘Winterthur’ is a compact cultivar that typically grows to 6’ tall in cultivation. Leaves are somewhat glossier than those of the species. An introduction of Winterthur Gardens in Delaware. Winner of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal (Steyer Award) in 1991.
‘Winterthur’ is a compact cultivar that typically grows to 6’ tall in cultivation. Leaves are somewhat glossier than those of the species. An introduction of Winterthur Gardens in Delaware. Winner of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal (Steyer Award) in 1991.