Viburnum Oppulus 3L

Description

Viburnum opulus – guelder rose (hedging)

Botanical name: Viburnum opulus
Common names: Guelder rose, water elder
Family: Adoxaceae
Plant type: Deciduous shrub for hedging
Habit: Upright, bushy, spreading
Pot size: 3 litre pot
Eventual size: Up to about 3–4m tall if unpruned; readily kept lower in a hedge; moderate to fast growth
Foliage: Maple-like, lobed green leaves turning rich red and purple in autumn; deciduous
Flowers: Flat, lacecap-like heads of white flowers in late spring, followed by glistening translucent red berries in autumn
Scent: Lightly scented
Aspect / light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Most soils, including damp and heavy ground; moist but not waterlogged; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H6 (hardy, to about −20°C); USDA zones 4–8
Exposure: Sheltered or exposed; very tolerant
Native range: Native to Europe including the UK
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Low toxicity; the raw berries can cause stomach upset if eaten in quantity by people or pets

Viburnum opulus, guelder rose, is a native deciduous shrub with lacecap white flowers in spring, glistening red berries in autumn and fiery autumn leaf colour. Superb for wildlife hedging and native screens.

GardenAdvice notes

A lovely native deciduous shrub, guelder rose earns its place with three seasons of interest: flat, lacecap heads of white flowers in late spring, glistening translucent red berries in autumn, and rich red and purple autumn leaf colour on its maple-like foliage. Tough and adaptable, tolerating damp and heavy ground, it is one of the best shrubs for a wildlife-friendly native hedge or informal screen.

Growing & planting

Plant in autumn or spring in most soils in full sun to partial shade — it is very tolerant and copes with damp, heavy ground that many shrubs dislike. For a hedge or in a mixed native hedge, space plants about 45–60cm apart. Water well while establishing.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. In a hedge, trim after flowering, though a light touch preserves more of the berries and autumn interest; in an informal or wildlife hedge, minimal pruning is best. Remove any dead or crossing stems in winter. It can be cut back hard to renovate. Feed and mulch in spring.

Propagation

• Cuttings: Take softwood cuttings in summer or hardwood cuttings in autumn.
• Seed: Can be raised from ripe seed sown in autumn, though this is slow.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free. Viburnum beetle and aphids can attack the foliage, but as a tough native it generally shrugs off most problems.

Uses in the garden

Superb in wildlife-friendly and native mixed hedges, as an informal screen, in shrub borders and damp or difficult ground, where its flowers, berries and autumn colour bring year-round interest.

Wildlife value

Excellent for wildlife: the spring flowers are rich in nectar for bees, hoverflies and other pollinators, the autumn berries are a valuable food source for birds, and as a native it supports a wide range of insects.

Toxicity & safety

Guelder rose has a low level of toxicity: the raw berries can cause stomach upset if eaten in quantity by people or pets, so discourage children and pets from eating them.

GardenAdvice tip

Guelder rose is one of the best all-round native shrubs for a wildlife hedge, giving lacecap flowers for pollinators in spring, berries for birds in autumn, and fiery leaf colour — so if you want a hedge that feeds wildlife, this is a star. Prune it only lightly and after flowering, as hard clipping removes the very flowers and berries that make it special.

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