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Tea Viburnum Viburnum setigerum

Phonetic Spelling
vih-BUR-num set-EE-ger-um
Description

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'
Tags:
#deciduous#full sun tolerant#white flowers#deciduous shrub#mass planting#showy fruits#stream banks#pond margins#deer resistant#border planting#fantz#partial shade tolerant#shrub borders#hedge#boggy sites
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Aurantiacum'
    Orange fruits, often leggy
'Aurantiacum'
Tags:
#deciduous#full sun tolerant#white flowers#deciduous shrub#mass planting#showy fruits#stream banks#pond margins#deer resistant#border planting#fantz#partial shade tolerant#shrub borders#hedge#boggy sites
  • 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.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Shrub
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Multi-stemmed
    Vase
    Growth Rate:
    Slow
    Maintenance:
    Medium
    Texture:
    Medium
  • 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
  • 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.
  • 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
  • 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.
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Dark Gray
    Bark Description:
    Gray fissuring bark
  • 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.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Pond
    Landscape Theme:
    Rain Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Hedge
    Specimen
    Attracts:
    Butterflies
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Wet Soil