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Key characteristics

Family: Adoxaceae
Height: 10 feet
Width: 10 feet
Flower color: Creamy white
Foliage color: Dark green, evergreen, with a rough texture and fuzzy gray undersides
Bloom time: Late spring
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low, but benefits from pruning for shape and removing old branches
Growing zone: USDA Zones 5 to 9
Wildlife: Bees, butterflies, and birds; berries provide food for wildlife

Shrubs

Viburnum Rhytidophyllum

Leatherleaf Viburnum

Viburnum rhytidophyllum is an evergreen shrub admired for its distinctive foliage and flowers. Its long, leathery leaves are dark green on top with a velvety, pale underside, giving it a textured appearance. In late spring, it produces clusters of creamy white flowers that grow in dense, domed inflorescences. These blooms are followed by bright red fruits that mature to shiny black, providing visual interest and a food source for birds into winter.

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Late spring

Find this plant

Companion plants

Fatsia · Foamflower · Viola · Aucuba · Ferns · Trillium

Design tip

Bring Leatherleaf Viburnum into areas that need visual weight and strong evergreen structure. Its large, deeply textured leaves create a substantial backdrop for finer foliage, while their pale, fuzzy undersides add dimension whenever wind or branching exposes the leaf reverses.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)