woodland shrub

Mapleleaf viburnum

Viburnum acerifolium

Native to much of the USA and southern Canada

New Brunswick to Upper Peninsula Michigan, south to Florida and Texas

Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Dry to moist Moisture preference
Zones 3–8 Cold to heat range
Bloom Apr–Jun Flowering time
Height up to 6 ft to 1.8 m
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

In the garden

A woodland shrub for sun through shade and dry to moist soil. Its white flowers peak in June. At up to 6 ft, it needs room in shade gardens and woodland edges. It shrugs off drought once established. Hardy in USDA zones 3–8.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

When it blooms

The Mapleleaf viburnum's white flowers bloom April to June, peaking in June. This early-summer display draws beetles and flower flies.

Mapleleaf viburnum blooms whiteFoliage

Pollinators & wildlife

Beetles Banded Longhorn Beetle

also Strangalepta Flower Longhorn Beetle, Lined Longhorn Beetle, Trachysida mutabilis +6 more
Stripe-legged Long-horned Beetle, Long-winged Longhorn Beetle, Downy Long-horned Beetle, Evodinus monticola, Bimaculate Longhorn Beetle, Callimoxys sanguinicollis
Flower flies Narrow-headed Marsh Fly also Long-horned Yellowjacket Fly, Orange-hipped Leafwalker
Bees Tridentate Miner

Butterflies that use this plant

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Summer azurecaterpillar host

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (30): AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV. Canada (3): NB, ON, QC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: New Brunswick to Upper Peninsula Michigan, south to Florida and TexasThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: Dry to moistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 3–8 · Canadian 4–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Dry, rocky soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay, Acid-basedThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil pH: 4.8–7.5The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: LowHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Drought tolerance: HighRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.
Salinity tolerance: NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.

Growth & form

Height: up to 6 ft (to 1.8 m)Typical mature height.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: SlowA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 14+ in (36+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: Apr–JunWhen it flowers.
Flower color: WhiteThe bloom color, or colors.
Fruit/Seeds: ripens Jun–NovThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~0.0 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: LowHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.