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Native Plant Society of Texas

Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum

Viburnum rufidulum

Other common name(s):

Rusty Blackhaw, Southern Blackhaw, Blackhaw, Bluehaw, Downy Viburnum, Southern Nannyberry, Rusty Nannyberry, Nannyberry

Family:

Adoxaceae (Adoxa Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift
Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

15
to
20
ft.

Spread

10
to
15
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Deep, Dry, Loam, Sand, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fall Color, Fruit, Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Small Mammals

Maintenance

Low maintenance. Slow growing. Likes full sun but will do best with late afternoon shade in hot summer areas. Will work as an understory tree, specimen tree, or screen. Glossy, dark-green leaves turn a variety of warm hues in autumn. Wait to prune until right after bloom. Needs deep, well drained soils. Native habitat: thickets, stream and river banks, dry, rocky woods; thickets,

Description

Blooms March-May. Grows as a shrub or small tree with reddish brown twigs that have a thin light gray coating. Leaves are oval with finely serrated margins and a shiny upper surface. White flowers are arranged in rounded or flattened clusters. The fruit is fleshy, bluish black.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Viburnum prunifolium var. ferrugineum, Viburnum rufidulum var. margarettiae, Viburnum rufotomentosum

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 306. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=VIRU. 5) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Viburnum+rufidulum&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 6) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=149&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=35274#null, 8) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014, 9) NPSOT member input. 10) https://www.gardenia.net/plant/viburnum-rufidulum

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed No Treatment Best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Germination can be slow, sometimes taking more than 18 months. If the seed is harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it has fully ripened) and sown immediately in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring. https://pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Viburnum+rufidulum#:~:text=Plant%20Propagation,wood%2C%20winter%20in%20a%20frame.
Softwood Cutting Take cuttings in July-August of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8 cm long with a heel if possible. Use a rooting hormone and a well-draining potting mix to enhance root development. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged and provide indirect light. Patience is needed as this shrub can be slow to propagate. These cuttings can be difficult to overwinter. It is best to keep them in a greenhouse or cold frame until the following spring before planting them out. Pot up into individual pots once they start to root and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Gradually acclimate to outdoor conditions before planting in the final location. Cuttings should be from healthy, non-flowering shoots. Ensure the cuttings have at least two nodes and plant them in a well-draining soil mix. 1) https://pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Viburnum+rufidulum#:~:text=Plant%20Propagation,wood%2C%20winter%20in%20a%20frame. 2) https://www.picturethisai.com/care/Viburnum_rufidulum.html#:~:text=How%20to%20Propagate%20Rusty%20blackhaw?&text=Rusty%20blackhaw%20is%20a%20deciduous,to%20outdoor%20conditions%20before%20planting. 3) https://earthone.io/plant/viburnum%20rufidulum
Seed Stratification Stored seed will require 2 months warm then 3 months cold stratification and can still take 18 months to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them in a cold frame or greenhouse. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer of the following year. https://pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Viburnum+rufidulum#:~:text=Plant%20Propagation,wood%2C%20winter%20in%20a%20frame.

About the Region

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This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason