Knowledgebase
Pollination of viburnums #783886
Asked March 13, 2022, 12:20 PM EDT
Macomb County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello Carol
Unfortunately there is not a comprehensive guide to viburnum pollination available. There are some ways you can increase the likelihood of pollination:
Some varieties of viburnum are sterile so avoid those; see Clemson university link—
This article describes your species and cultivars, and also which are sterile.
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/viburnum/
Planting within 50 to 100 feet is fine. Flowers are pollinated by insects including bees, beetles, flies. Avoid all insecticides during flowering to preserve pollinating insects.
Non-sterile viburnum flowers that are in bloom at the same time will cross pollinate each other.
Purchase shrubs grown from seed- ask the nursery manager or person who orders the stock. If this info isn’t available, order shrubs from different nurseries, which makes it more likely the shrubs have different parentage.
It may take a few seasons for newly planted shrubs to bear fruit, as transplanting requires the shrub to establish a good root system first.
Give all shrubs good care- especially watering them during drought times in spring, summer and fall up to when the ground freezes.
The highbush cranberry, V. opulus var. americanum, can pollinate others which are in flower at the same time.
More discussion on cross pollination of viburnum:
https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/article/viburnum-a-shrub-for-many-settings/