Nannyberry, Sweet Viburnum, Viburnum lentago L., Native Minnesota Wildflower shrub, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

(Sweet Viburnum, Sheepberry). This shrub can grow into a small tree, but is normally an understory plant of moist woods. Small white flowers appear in flat-topped clusters of 3 to 5" across and mature into bluish-black edible fruits that hang from reddish stems. Leaves are 2 to 4 inches long, egg shaped with fine teeth and usually pointed at the tip and turn to a deep maroon color in the fall. Bark on mature stems is dark gray to black in a small block pattern. In the landscape the plant can be leggy and will send up suckers. The ripe fruit is eaten by many birds and animals usually after it has frozen and thawed as the fruit then turns sweet. Over ripe fruit smells like wet sheep wool, hence one of the alternate common names. Humans will find the fruit barely palatable. The preferred habitat is moist soil in low woods or swamp borders, but it can tolerate drier sites. The plant is susceptible to damage by the viburnum leaf beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni).

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Nannyberry	Viburnum lentago L.	Honeysuckle	Woodland	Spring
Other names and notes	(Sweet Viburnum, Sheepberry). This shrub can grow into a small tree, but is normally an understory plant of moist woods. Small white flowers appear in flat-topped clusters of 3 to 5" across and mature into bluish-black edible fruits that hang from reddish stems. Leaves are 2 to 4 inches long, egg shaped with fine teeth and usually pointed at the tip and turn to a deep maroon color in the fall. Bark on mature stems is dark gray to black in a small block pattern. In the landscape the plant can be leggy and will send up suckers. The ripe fruit is eaten by many birds and animals usually after it has frozen and thawed as the fruit then turns sweet. Over ripe fruit smells like wet sheep wool, hence one of the alternate common names. Humans will find the fruit barely palatable. The preferred habitat is moist soil in low woods or swamp borders, but it can tolerate drier sites. The plant is susceptible to damage by the viburnum leaf beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni).