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Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides

Withe-rod, or Witherod Viburnum, features white flowers with yellow stamens, which bloom June-July. The fruit is very ornamental, changing from green, to pink, to red, to blue, finally to black, and all colors may be present in the fruit cluster at one time. The berries persist after the leaves drop, and provide a good food source for birds and wildlife. Fall foliage is orange-red, crimson, and purple. Witherod Viburnum is a good choice for naturalizing, mass plantings, and as a shrub border around your yard. It is very similar to Viburnum nudum.

Viburnum x burkwoodii

Burkwood Viburnum is a cross between V. utile and V. carlesii. Fragrant white flowers bloom in April, followed by red, berry-like fruits, which ripen to black in summer. The leaves turn dark red in the fall. Burkwood Viburnum tolerates a wide range of soils, but prefers well-drained loamy soil. Plant Burkwood Viburnum as a shrub border in your yard.

Viburnum acerifolium

Mapleleaf Viburnum features yellowish-white flower clusters blooming April-August. The flowers are followed by red berries, which turn blue-black when ripe. Fall foliage is reddish-purple. Mapleleaf Viburnum is a nectar and fruit source for bees, butterflies, birds, and wildlife. Mapleleaf Viburnum is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon).

Vaccinium corymbosum

Highbush Blueberry is a flowering deciduous shrub with edible fruit. It features white to pinkish-white flowers, which bloom in May, offering a valuable early nectar source for native bees. The edible fruit ripens June-July, providing food for birds. The berries are used in pies, muffins, and other dishes, and eaten fresh! Highbush Blueberry offers lush green foliage in the summer, and yellow, bronze, orange, or red foliage in fall. Reddish stems offer ornamental value in winter. Plant Highbush Blueberry as a shrub border, in a small garden plot, or in naturalized areas of your yard.

Vaccinium angustifolium

Lowbush Blueberry is a flowering deciduous shrub with edible fruit. It features small, white, bell-shaped flowers with pink/reddish edges, which bloom April-May, offering a valuable nectar source to native bees. The sweet and edible fruit ripens in summer and provides an important food source for birds. The berries are used in pies, muffins, and other dishes, and eaten fresh. Showy fall foliage is bronze, scarlet, and crimson. Plant Lowbush Blueberry along borders, as a tall groundcover, as small hedges, or in naturalized areas of your yard.

Symplocos paniculata

Sapphire-berry has white flowers, which bloom late-May to early-June. The ornamental fruit appears in shades of blue, and ripens September-October. The fruit is a food source for birds. Plant more than one for cross-pollination and to ensure fruiting. Sapphire-berry can be trained as a shrub or small tree. Use it for screening at the back of a shrub border, or as a specimen tree in your yard.

Skimmia japonica

Japanese Skimmia is an evergreen shrub with mildly fragrant, white, showy flowers, which bloom in April. It is dioecious; male and female flowers appear on separate plants. Both male and female plants are needed to produce fruit. Berries ripen in October and persist through winter. Japanese Skimmia tolerates heavy shade and needs moist, organically-rich soil. Use Japanese Skimmia in shade gardens, along foundations, as an understory shrub, or massed in shrub borders or hedges.

Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis

Sweetbox offers showy, fragrant, white flowers, which bloom March-April. This broadleaf evergreen shrub tolerates heavy shade, and provides winter interest. Established plants have some drought tolerance. Plant Sweetbox around your yard as a low hedge or groundcover, or in your shade garden for a delightful early spring fragrance.

Sambucus racemosa

Red Elderberry’s clusters of creamy-white flowers bloom May-June, and provide nectar to native bees and butterflies. The berries are reputedly poisonous and are inedible to humans, but are an attractive food source for birds. Hollow stems offer nest sites and nest materials to native bees. Red Elderberry attracts beneficial predatory insects, which prey on garden insect pests. Use Common Elderberry as a small specimen tree or large shrub in borders around your yard.

Sambucus canadensis

American Black Elderberry is a spreading, deciduous shrub with clusters of white flowers from June-July. It provides an attractve nectar source for butterflies and bees. Berries ripen in late summer and provide a food source for birds. The fruit can be used in jellies, pies, juice, and wine. Use American Black Elderberry in shrub borders, moist roadside plantings, or as a privacy screen around your yard.