FNPS Plant Database

Viburnum obovatum

Walter's viburnum "Withlacoochee"
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

Walter's viburnum "Withlacoochee"

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Viburnum obovatum

Family:

Adoxaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Shrub

Size:

6–15 , ft by tall , by 6–8 ft wide, may sucker–form clones

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

red, black

Phenology:

Tardily deciduous leafing out shortly after the old leaves fall. Blooms late winter-early spring. Fruits ripen late summer-early fall

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Hurricane Wind Resistance

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen plant, multi-trunked.

Considerations:

Availability:

Big Box Stores, Quality Nurseries, Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales

Propagation:

Cuttings. This is a cultivar, so don't attempt to reproduce from seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

Larval host for the spring azure butterfly (Celastrina ladon). Attracts many pollinators. Fruits eaten by birds and small mammals.

Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit.

Native Habitats:

Cultivated as an ornamental

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

The name Walter's viburnum honors Thomas Walter (1740-89), English-born planter of South Carolina, who described this species in his Flora Caroliniana.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Gann, G.D., C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+). Small viburnum, Walter's viburnum [in] Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Vibuobov ). Accessed 2026. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, FL.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Huegel, Craig N. (2010). Native Plant Landscaping for Florida Wildlife. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

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