Viburnum utile

• BOTANICAL NAME: Viburnum utile
• PRONUNCIATION: vi-BUR-num u-TILL-e
• COMMON NAME: Service Viburnum
• FAMILY: Caprifoliaceae
• NATIVITY: China
• GROWTH HABIT: Bean describes the plant as, "pretty graceful" while Dirr calls it, "rather scraggly" and Krussmann says, "loose...thinly branched". I have seen plants that would fit all of these descriptions. The 3 year old plant at the
  University of Delaware Botanic Gardens is dense and 2' tall and as wide.
• SIZE: 3-6' tall
• HARDINESS: Zone 6 - 8
• CULTURE: Full sun to partial shade, although the shade may encourage
  a loose habit. Plants grow best in moist, well drained soil. Wilson described
  plants growing on limestone, although plants grow well in acidic soil also.
• LANDSCAPE USE: As specimen (assume habit remains tight) or better in groups.
  A bird-attracting plant.
• FOLIAGE: Alternate, ovate to oblong, entire although wavy, 1 - 3" long.
  Dark green above and pubescent, whitish beneath.
• FLOWERS: Terminal cymes, to 3" across in May. Flowers are white about 1/3" across.
• FRUIT: Drupe, bluish black.
• PROPAGATION: Cuttings, seed.
• PESTS: None serious.
• CULTIVARS: There are no cultivars of V. utile proper, but it is one of the parents
  of V. x burkwoodii and its cultivars. Additionally, V. utile has been used in
  backcrosses to produce these cultivars:
  • `Chesapeake' - 6 -10', 2 - 3" diameter flattened inflorescence
  • `Conoy' - 5' tall and 7' wide in 17 yr, flattened inflorescence 2 - 2 1/2"
  • `Eskimo - 4' tall and 5' wide in 12 yr, inflorescence 3-4" snowball shaped