General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist loams, but tolerates a wide range of soils including boggy ones. Prune as needed immediately after flowering, however pruning off spent flowers will eliminate late summer fruit display. For best cross-pollination and subsequent fruit display, plant shrubs in groups rather than as single specimens.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

Viburnum nudum (commonly called possumhaw viburnum or smooth witherod) is a rounded, multi-stemmed, upright-spreading, deciduous shrub which typically grows in the wild to 5-12' tall and as wide. It is native to low woods, swamps and bogs in the eastern and southeastern U. S. from Connecticut south to Florida and Louisiana. 'Count Pulaski' is a cultivar which typically grows 5-7' tall in cultivation. It features aromatic white flowers arranged in flat-topped clusters (cymes 2-4" wide) in April-May. Flowers are followed by clusters of berries which ripen to black in fall. Fruit is highly acidic but edible. Oblong-lanceolate, glossy dark green leaves (to 4" long) turn maroon to dark red in fall.

Problems:

No serious insect or disease problems.

Uses:

Specimen or groups. Shrub borders, foundations, hedges or roadside plantings. Good selection for low spots and peripheries of water gardens, streams or ponds.

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