shrub
Sweet viburnum
Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Sweet viburnum is a fast-growing evergreen shrub hardy in zones 8–10. Expect 10–20 ft of height and 8–12 ft of spread; our lists space it 9 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part shade with average water. Expect white flowers in March to April. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the anchor role: the one larger plant that anchors the back of a bigger bed. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 8 to 10
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Mature size
- 10–20 ft tall × 8–12 ft wide
- Spacing
- 9 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Mar–Apr · white
- Roles in a bed
- Anchor, Structure
- Styles
- classic, modern
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Not on the ASPCA toxic list; no known toxic compounds.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 3-gallon pot, typically $25–$45 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
- Pruning
- Shear or shape after spring bloom; tolerates hard pruning.
Sources: UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions and EDIS fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Southeastern extension deer-resistance lists (UGA, Clemson, UF/IFAS); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Sweet viburnum, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Dwarf pittosporum 'Wheeler's Dwarf'Pittosporum tobira 'Wheeler's Dwarf'shrub · zones 8–11
- Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'perennial · zones 7–10
- Chinese fringe flower 'Purple Diamond'Loropetalum chinense 'Shang-hi'shrub · zones 7–10
- Cast iron plantAspidistra elatiorperennial · zones 7–11
- Holly fernCyrtomium falcatumfern · zones 7–10
- Dwarf mondo grass 'Nana'Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'groundcover · zones 7–10
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Sweet viburnum: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants