Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Viburnaceae

Genus:

Viburnum

Species:

Viburnum obovatum

USDA Symbol:

VIOB

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Tree

Height:

450 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

feb,mar,apr

Bloom Colors:

white, cream

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, butterflies, bees

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fragrant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from roots and crown after fire. Common in fire-maintained Florida scrub and flatwoods ecosystems.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, well-drained sandy loam

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

native to wetlands and floodplains

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

30–365 days

Notes:

Seeds have double dormancy and may take over a year to germinate. Warm stratification followed by cold stratification improves germination rates.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI