Viburnum sargentii ‘Onondaga’ growing happily in our perennial border
Our home is located on a corner lot with most of the yard in front. While I like the overall look, I want our yard to feel more like a retreat. To that end, I have been slowly planting a perennial border interspersed with shrubs to create more privacy and decrease the amount of lawn that needs mowing. Of course this means that I am always looking for small to medium sized shrubs that have more than one season of interest. About 4 years ago, I planted the shrub Viburnum sargentii ‘Onondaga’ which became an instant success in our yard.
First of all, Onondaga seems to like our clay soil and does not mind the intermittent water that sometimes stands in the nearby ditch for days at a time. The growth habit is upright when young, only to become more rounded with age. It has velvety, fine-textured, dark maroon young foliage, that later turns green while retaining a maroon tinge. Onondaga has very unique flowers for a Viburnum, with flat-topped flower clusters that feature an outer ring of large sterile, white blooms. Most showy, however, is the central mass of small fertile flowers that are dull pink-maroon in color followed in fall by sparse red fruit.
Onondaga has been a beautiful addition to our perennial/shrub border and while I love how this shrub looks in spring, summer and fall, I really appreciate how carefree it has been to grow.
Research
- Hardy to zone 4
- Deciduous shrub with moderate growth rate
- 12’ to 15’ at maturity
- Full sun to partial shade
- Best growth on fertile, moist soils
- Very soil adaptable
- Very tough and easy to grow
- Bronze to reddish fall color
- Needs occasional rejuvenation pruning
That is a beautiful shrub Genie!