Fruit produced by viburnum are a source of food for many native and migrating birds and can be a beautiful garden display in fall and winter, but without selecting plants carefully, yours may not fruit well. Viburnum bear little or no fruit if too genetically similar to other viburnum they are planted with. Viburnum self-pollinate poorly and you will get better fruits by mixing plants of the same species but from different sources. Plants sourced from a single nursery, unless grown from seed, are possibly clones of each other and tend not to pollinate each other well. Sourcing from multiple nurseries enhances the chance of genetic diversity and excellent fruit set in viburnum. Plants do not need to be side-by-side to cross-pollinate but can be placed within about 50 to 80 feet of each other.

For most species, a plant and its cultivars bloom at compatible times and work as pollinators.  Viburnum nudum and its cultivars can vary too much in bloom timing and only a genetically diverse V. nudum should be selected as a pairing with another V. nudum.

Learn more about this plant in our Guide to Viburnum.

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service