Botanical Name: Viburnum opulus 'Compactum'
Add
Common Name: Compact European Cranberrybush Vibu  
Plant photo of: Viburnum opulus 'Compactum'
Previous Photo     Next Photo

Water Saving Tip:

Water-wise plants can be beautiful as well as practical.

Take your 'My List' Hydrozone Report to a landscape designer, or local nursery, when selecting and purchasing plants.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

3-6'

 

Flower Color

White

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Dark Green

 

Bark Color

Brown, Grey

 

Fruit Color

Red

 

Fruit Season

Winter, Fall, Persistent

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Moist, Dry

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color, Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Shrub Border, Foundation, Parking Lot, Raised Planter, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Hedge, Mass Planting, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds, Butterflies

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: Don Syrek
  • Description

  • Notes

'Compactum' is a dwarf selection of the species, growing with a rounded, mounded, dense habit to about 5 feet tall and wide. It has good flowering and fruiting production, with white May to June flowers being held in flat clusters, and followed by berries that ripen to bright red throughout the summer and fall. Leaves are a dark green and lobed (usually three, though sometime five) and just slightly hairy. Fall color is reddish, though early freezes can lead to less dramatic results. Useful in the shrub or foundation border, sites with compacted or poor soils, and commercial and parking lot spaces. 'Nanum' is an even smaller selection, growing to about 2 feet tall and slightly wider.
Grow in well drained soil, preferably of a loamy nature, in full sun to partial shade. While adaptive to a variety of soil types, best growth occurs in fertile sandy-loam or clay-loam soils. Tolerant of alkaline soils. Occasional and selective pruning of oldest wood will keep the shrub compact, densely leafed, and tidy; shearing makes it very twiggy (see Guides).