PlantFiles: Arrowwood, Southern Arrowwood, Roughish Arrowwood
Viburnum dentatum

I often planted it in my yard because it shrugs off shade. There are not many other shrub species available on the market that grows in shade. The problems associate with this species is that it tend to grow very long thin sticks that rarely branches so is not a effective screen bush and sometimes the branches collaspe close to the ground so need frequent trimming. Another problem, at least in my Zone 4 garden is its late fall color - often later than even the Norway Maple which changes colors about late October and I have seen it just turn a dry green when snow flies and then drop off. Downy Arrowwood changes its colors only in mid November and then held on it through parts of December. I don't think the name of Southern Arrowwood is accurate as there are no northern arrowwood species. I know most of the comments is negative but it does have fall colors - strongly reddish at the tip and a bright yellow the rest of the plant. Also grows fast while some other shade shrubs or small tree grows very slowly like Ironwood or is rare in the trade like Musclewood.

Arrowwood viburnum is certainly the easiest viburnum to grow, and very durable. There are copious named selections to choose from; tour the PlantFiles entries here and judge them for yourself.

This is quite a variable species: there are dwarfer forms, taller forms, early vs. late bloomers, an incredible array of fall colors, and the leaf characters make you think you have different plants sometimes.

None of this should dissuade the gardener from giving arrowwood a spot in their landscape. It is a prolific bloomer, and with a little cross-pollination, this plant will set heavily with lustrous blue fruit which (around here) mockingbirds and cardinals simply cannot resist.

Arrowwood is also very easy to propagate -- live stakes in winter and simple layering during the growing season gives new plants pretty quickly with no effort.

This native, eastern US shrub is typically 5'-9' tall and wide, but native plants can be as tall as 15'. The overall shape is rounded with upright branching that eventually arches over at the tips. It suckers profusely from the base. The creamy white flowers bloom in late May to early June in 3" flattened clusters. The blue-black fruit is enjoyed by birds. The plants are easy to grow in full sun to partial shade and dry to fairly wet soil.

The shrub is useful for its extreme durability and can be used for borders, screens, naturalizing, mass plantings, and difficult sites. It can be propogated by seeds and cuttings.