Viburnum foetidum
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Viburnum foetidum var. foetidum
- Description
-
Stinking Viburnum is a white flowering evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub native to Tibet and Indo-China. It reaches a size of around 10 feet tall and wide. The common name comes from the unpleasant smell emitted by the leaves when they are crushed. In late spring to early summer clusters of white flowers appear and are followed by red berries that can be eaten raw. The leaves can be variable on the same plant.
Plant in moist well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Use as a foundation plant, part of a hedge or shrub border or a specimen.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- var. ceanthoides
- var. quadrangularis
Smaller leaves - var. rectangulatum
- var. ceanthoides
- var. ceanthoides, var. quadrangularis, var. rectangulatum
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- var. ceanthoides
- var. quadrangularis
Smaller leaves - var. rectangulatum
- var. ceanthoides
- var. ceanthoides, var. quadrangularis, var. rectangulatum
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Viburnum
- Species:
- foetidum
- Family:
- Viburnaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Bark is used to make fishing nets.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Tibet
- Edibility:
- Fruits can be eaten raw.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
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-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Semi-evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
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-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Small red fruits are broadly oval to orbicular and 1⁄4 in. wide.
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-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Tubular white petaled flowers with purple anthers in 2-3 inch clusters. Blooms May- July
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-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Semi-evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Obovate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- 1-3 inches long by .5 to 1.5 inch wide shiny green leaves have an unpleasant fragrance when crushed. They are broadly ovate with a rounded base varying to broadly elliptic and obovate, shallowly toothed to entire, finely downy especially on the veins. Born on red stems.
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-
Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Bark Description:
- Light brown bark
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-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Purple/Lavender
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Buds:
- Scaly
- Stem Cross Section:
- Angular
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- New branches are yellow-brownish stellate-pubescent. Older stems are purple-brown, terete, glabrous, with dispersed, small, rounded lenticels. Winter buds have 2 pairs of scales
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-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Landscape Theme:
- Edible Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Problems:
- Malodorous
