How to Grow Sweet Viburnum

Sweet viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) grows up to 30 feet high and 30 feet wide, making it suitable for large lots that can handle its size. It features sweet-smelling white flowers in the spring and red decorative berries in the summer, and lacks major pests or disease problems. Sweet viburnum works well as a large shrub plant, but can also be grown into a tree form. This plant is suitable for USDA hardiness zones 8B through 10A, but is considered an invasive species in some regions.

Shovel
Pruning shears
Slow-release fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Choose a site that allows your viburnum enough room to mature. Plants grow in sun, shade or part sun and thrive in a range of soil conditions. They can also be grown in containers.
- 2
  Dig a hole twice as wide and deep as your sweet viburnum's root ball, removing rocks, weeds and debris from the planting site.
- 3
  Pull your viburnum out of its container and gently massage the root ball between your hands. Unwind tangled roots, and trim back the tips of broken ones before planting.
- 4
  Place the plant in the prepared hole, holding it vertically straight with one hand. Spread the roots out against the soil, then fill in the hole with dirt to complete planting.
- 5
  Saturate the soil with water. Do so again whenever the soil becomes dry to the touch. The plant is moderately drought-resistant once mature.
- 6
  Fertilize the sweet viburnum with a slow-release fertilizer, to promote plant growth. Apply the appropriate dose per the size of your plant (see packaging directions).
- 7
  Prune back the plant when it becomes too tall or too wide. Clip back branches with pruning shears. Also remove bent, broken or damaged shoots to maintain a healthy shrub.

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