Tea Viburnum Viburnum setigerum
- Phonetic Spelling
- vih-BUR-num set-EE-ger-um
- Description
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Tea Viburnum is a shrub from China with flower clusters smaller than most viburnums but has one of the heaviest fruit production of the Viburnums. More than one shrub is needed for fruiting so plant in groups. This shrub grows 8-12 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide with a loose vase shape and often loses the bottom 1/3 of its leaves giving it a leggy appearance. The 1-2 inch cymes of white flowers are somewhat showy and are followed by abundant and showy yellow-orange fruits that mature to bright red. The fall color is a muted red.
Tea Viburnum prefers moist slightly acidic loams but is adaptable to other soils including slightly boggy ones. Plant in full sun to partial shade in shrub borders to hide the legginess and for the fruiting effect. Can be grown along a stream, pond or bog.
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:
- Four-Season Garden
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Aurantiacum'
Orange fruits, often leggy
- 'Aurantiacum'
- 'Aurantiacum'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Aurantiacum'
Orange fruits, often leggy
- 'Aurantiacum'
- 'Aurantiacum'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Viburnum
- Species:
- setigerum
- Family:
- Viburnaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Leaves were used by the monks on Mount Omei to make teas
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- China
- Wildlife Value:
- Mildly resistant to deer.
- Edibility:
- Leaves can be used to make tea.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Vase
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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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)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Wet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- 0.3 to 0.5 in. oval orange-yellow drupes mature to red and persist till frost when they turn translucent.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Cup
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- White flowers on 1 to 2 in. flat-topped cymes. Individual flowers have 5 petals
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Soft
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 3-6 inches by 1-2 inches gray-green to blue-green leaves have pointed tips and a rounded base, slightly toothed margins and hairs along the veins. Fall color is unreliable and a muted red.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Gray
- Bark Description:
- Gray fissuring bark
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Buds:
- Scaly
- Stem Lenticels:
- Conspicuous
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Smooth gray stems with lenticels, stem buds are green with red edges with 3-5 scales.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Pond
- Landscape Theme:
- Rain Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Hedge
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Wet Soil
