Guelder-rose Viburnum
Viburnum opulus
Commonly cultivated, and rarely persistent or escaping. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you
-30
Harmful
Not native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 82%
- Height
- 12–16 feet
- Spread
- 8–15 feet
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Usually moist
Do not plant. Listed invasive in West Virginia.
Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source
Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.
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At a glance
- Life cycle
- Woody perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- Late spring
- Fruiting season
- Summer to fall
Recorded in 2 West Virginia counties.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
102CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV
Genus host records with ranges including WV · Viburnum
- Celastrina ladonSpring Azure
- Hemaris thysbeHummingbird Clearwing
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
- Acronicta fallaxThe Green Marvel
- Acronicta griseaGray Dagger
- Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
- Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
- Agnorisma badinodisPale-Banded Dart
- Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
Show all 102
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
- 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
- Autographa amplaLarge Looper Moth, Broken-Banded Y, Climbing Looper
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Calledapteryx dryopterataBrown Scoopwing
- Callophrys henriciHenry's Elfin
- Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
- Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
- Celastrina luciaLucia Azure
- Celastrina serotinaCherry Gall Azure
- 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
- Epiglaea declivaSloping Sallow
- Epirrita autumnataThe Autumnal Moth, November 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
- Eupsilia morrisoniMorrison's Sallow
- 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
- Lycophotia phyllophoraBrick Dart, Leafy Dart
- 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
- Morrisonia evictaBicolored Woodgrain
- Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
- Olethreutes appendiceumServiceberry Leafroller
- Oreta roseaRose Hooktip
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthofidonia exornataPale Viburnum Geometer
- Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
- Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
- Packardia geminataJeweled Tail Slug Moth
- Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
- Phlogophora periculosaBrown Angle Shades
- Plagodis alcoolariaHollow-Spotted Plagodis
- Plagodis pulverariaAmerican Barred Umber, Barred Umber
- Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
- Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
- Polia purpurissataPurple Arches
- 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
- Spiramater lutraDarling Mamestra, Splashed Arches, Otter Spiramater, Otter Arches
- Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
- Synanthedon fatiferaLesser Viburnum Clearwing
- Synanthedon viburniViburnum Borer
- Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
- 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
- Coleophora viburniella
- Orthofidonia tinctaria
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist 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
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Viburnaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 2a–8b
- Soil pH
- Acidic to alkaline
- Flower color
- Yellow or white
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Growth habit
- Several stems
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fruit begins
- Summer
- Fruit ends
- Fall
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “Late spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Flower color · “Yellow 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 · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Slow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 2a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “12–16 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “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
- Soil · “Moist; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “8–15 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Guelder rose Viburnum
Conservation status
| West Virginia rank | S1 |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| WV status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Sources
- West Virginia DNR invasive plant list
- USDA PLANTS
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- NatureServe Explorer
- West Virginia 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