Viburnum Lantana

Give your yard a shot of summer color with the bright fruits of Viburnum lantana. This eye-catching lantana got its start in 1952 from seed collected in Poland. One variety, Viburnum ‘Mohican,’ has especially colorful fruit clusters that show three different hues at the same time. Viburnum lantana, including ‘Mohican’ viburnum, stages a strong flower show in spring.

The flowers on Viburnum lantana and ‘Mohican’ viburnum open in flattened clusters that measure 2 to 3 inches across. The white blossoms lack fragrance, so you can use it near entryways and seating areas without worrying about a pungent spring scent. When blossoms open, they beckon pollinators to the garden. Butterflies, all kinds of bees and other insects visit the blooms to harvest nectar or pollen.

Flowers fade to form berry-like fruit. The fruit on Viburnum lantana ripens from green to red to purple-black. The ripening sequence is quite pronounced on ‘Mohican’ viburnum. With this shrub, it’s not unusual for fruit clusters to showcase all three colors at once because individual berries ripen at different speeds. The berries put on a great show and really pop against the green leaves. The great thing about Viburnum lantana berries is that they typically hold their red color for about four weeks.

Birds visit Viburnum lantana to feast on the berries after they ripen. Viburnum lantana is also attractive to birds for its dense branching, which provides good nesting locations. Viburnum lantana grows 10 to 15 feet tall and wide, while ‘Mohican’ viburnum stays smaller, growing 7 to 8 feet tall and 7 to 10 feet wide.

In addition to its good looks, Viburnum lantana brings several strong attributes to the landscape. This viburnum shrub tolerates alkaline soil better than most of its viburnum relatives. It’s also drought tolerant once established, making it a good choice for low water use landscape designs. Viburnum lantana and ‘Mohican’ viburnum both grow well in part shade to full sun.

Use Viburnum lantana as part of a mixed shrub border or to provide a backdrop for perennial plantings. It makes a nice addition to a wildlife garden or naturalized setting. You won’t go wrong creating a Viburnum lantana hedge. With its dense branching structure, Viburnum lantana creates a sturdy hedge and also a good privacy screen. You can also count on Viburnum lantana to be a solid player in a low maintenance landscape.