Downy Arrowwood
Viburnum rafinesquianum
In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in moderately dry forests; dry forests and woodlands; forests and woodlands; streams, rivers and their banks. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you
77
Strong
Native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 100%
- Height
- About 6 feet
- Light
- Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Somewhat dry to moist
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Woody perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- April to May
- Fruiting season
- June to July
JFMAMJJASOND
Not yet recorded · Spread
Recorded in 6 Arkansas counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 4
Forests between dry and moist, often oak-hickory on slopes.
Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.
Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.
Streams, rivers and their banks
Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
84CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR
Genus host records with ranges including AR · Viburnum
- Celastrina ladonSpring Azure
- Hemaris thysbeHummingbird Clearwing
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
- Acronicta fallaxThe Green Marvel
- Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
- Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
- Agnorisma badinodisPale-Banded Dart
- Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
Show all 84
- Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
- Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
- Antepione thisoariaVariable Antepione
- Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
- Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
- Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
- Argyrotaenia juglandanaHickory Leafroller
- Argyrotaenia marianaGray-Banded Leafroller Moth
- Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Calledapteryx dryopterataBrown Scoopwing
- Callophrys henriciHenry's Elfin
- Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
- Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
- Cenopis diluticostanaSpring Dead-Leaf Roller Moth, Oak Cenopis
- Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
- Choristoneura parallelaParallel-Banded Leafroller, Spotted Fireworm Moth
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
- Darapsa choerilusAzalea Sphinx
- Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
- Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
- Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
- Euchlaena irrariaLeast-Marked Euchlaena
- Euchlaena marginariaOchre Euchlaena
- Euphydryas phaetonThe Baltimore, The Black Checker
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Euplexia benesimilisAmerican Angle Shades
- Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
- Glyptocera consobrinellaViburnum Glyptocera, Glyptocera Moth
- Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
- Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
- Hemaris diffinisSnowberry Clearwing
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
- Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
- Iridopsis ephyrariaPale-Winged Gray
- Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
- Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
- Lacinipolia loreaBridled Arches, Bridle Groundcat
- Lomographa vestaliataWhite Spring Moth
- Lytrosis unitariaCommon Lytrosis
- Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
- Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
- Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
- Metaxaglaea inultaUnsalted Sallow, Viburnum Sallow
- Metaxaglaea semitariaFootpath Sallow
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
- Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
- Oreta roseaRose Hooktip
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
- Packardia geminataJeweled Tail Slug Moth
- Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
- Phlogophora periculosaBrown Angle Shades
- Plagodis alcoolariaHollow-Spotted Plagodis
- Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
- Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
- Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
- Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
- Schizura badiaChestnut Schizura
- Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
- Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
- Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
- Synchlora frondariaSouthern Emerald
- Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
- Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
- Zale horridaHorrid Zale, Sacled Zale
- Acleris placidana
17BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Viburnum
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
18BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Viburnum
- Bombycilla cedrorumCedar Waxwing
- Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
- Acanthis flammeaCommon Redpoll
- Aix sponsaWood Duck
- Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
- Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
- Catharus minimus/bicknelliGray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush
- Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
- Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
- Lagopus lagopusWillow Ptarmigan
Show all 18
- Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
- Mimus polyglottosNorthern Mockingbird
- Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
- Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
- Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
- Vireo griseusWhite-eyed Vireo
- Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
- Vireo solitariusBlue-headed Vireo
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Viburnaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a–8b
- Soil pH
- Acidic to alkaline
- Flower color
- Cream or white
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Growth habit
- Several stems
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fruit begins
- June
- Fruit ends
- July
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “Mid April to May” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “Cream or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
- Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “June” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Fruit ends · “July” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “About 6 feet” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Minnesota Wildflowers differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- primary_flower_color · “white” · USDA PLANTS
- Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Downy Arrow Wood; Rafinesques Viburnum; Viburnum rafinesquianum
Conservation status
| Arkansas rank | SNR |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| AR status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
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Sources
- Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas (2013)
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- Arkansas occurrence source
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications