Viburnum lentago tree

Viburnum lentago leaves

Viburnum lentago
nannyberry

Scientific Name
Viburnum is the Latin name for wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana); lentago is an old name meaning “tough or pliable” in reference to the young stems.
Common Name
Nannyberry or sheepberry is named for the wet goat or sheep odor of the ripe fruits.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND NATIVE HABITAT
Nannyberry is native to North America from New England and Quebec to Manitoba, south to Georgia and Mississippi. Plants are found in woods, swamp margins, thickets and along fences. Viburnum is in the honeysuckle (Caprifoliaceae) family along with honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) and elder (Sambucus spp.).

CONSERVATION INFORMATION
Not native to Kentucky
 
DESCRIPTION
Growth Habit and Form
Shrub or small tree with slender arching branches. Plants are upright and rounded in youth becoming more open and irregular with maturity. Plants often sucker from the base and can form dense thickets. Nannyberry grows 10 to 18 feet tall and 6 to 12 feet wide.
Leaves
Leaves are simple, opposite, ovate to elliptic-obovate and 2 to 5 inches long. The glossy dark green leaves have finely toothed edges. The deciduous leaves may turn purple or red in autumn before dropping. The ½ to 1 inch-long petiole is mostly winged with a wavy margin. Nannyberry is very similar to blackhaw, differing with larger, serrated (toothed) leaves.
Flowers
The creamy-white flowers are in flat-topped clusters and bloom in May. The flowers have yellow centers and are pollinated by insects. Flowers are 3 to 4 ½ in. in diameter and showy.
Fruits
Fruits are ½ inch oval drupes (fleshy fruits containing single seeds). The fruits ripen in drooping, flat-topped clusters in September. The clusters ripen from green to yellow and red to bluish-black. The colorful fruits are often green, yellow, red and bluish in the same cluster. Ripe fruits have an odor similar to the wool of a wet goat or sheep. Fruits are eaten and seeds are scattered by wildlife.
Bark
Multiple stems are smooth, brown and slender when young. Older branches are covered with blocky grayish-black bark.
Wild and Cultivated Varieties

HORTICULTURE
Landscape Use
Nannyberry is a large shrub or small tree ideal for naturalizing. Plants can be used in shrub borders, on difficult sites and as hedges. Viburnums are often planted to attract birds and wildlife.
Hardiness Zone
Hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 7.
Growth Rate
Medium.
Cultivation and Propagation Information
Growth is best in moist, well-drained, fertile soils. Full sun is preferred, although plants are tolerant of partial shade. Plants adapt to poor, compacted soils, drought and pollution. Propagation is by seed or softwood stem cuttings.
Diseases and Insects
Powdery mildew is common in plants grown in shaded areas.
Wildlife Considerations
Nannyberry is a good source of food for a variety of birds and wildlife.
Maintenance Practices
Nannyberry viburnum often suckers profusely forming a thicket.

TRADITIONAL AND MODERN USES
The edible fruits are eaten fresh or used in jams and jellies.
Native American Iroquois and Menominee ate the fruits.
Bark tea was used as a diuretic.
Nannyberry was introduced into cultivation in 1761.