shrub
Walter's viburnum 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight'
Viburnum obovatum 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight'
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.
Hardy in zones 7–10, Walter's viburnum 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight' is a slow-growing semi-evergreen shrub. It grows 3–4 ft tall and 3–4 ft wide, so plant it 3 ft apart. Give it full sun to part shade and average water, and it copes with wet soil. It flowers white in February to March. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. It is native to the Southeast and Florida and the Gulf. 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 obovatum 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight'
- Plant type
- Shrub, semi evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 7 to 10
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium; tolerates wet soil
- Soil
- Tolerates wet and dry sandy soil.
- Mature size
- 3–4 ft tall × 3–4 ft wide
- Spacing
- 3 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Feb–Mar · white
- Roles in a bed
- Structure
- Styles
- natural, classic
- 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
- Southeast and Florida/Gulf
- Pot size and price
- 3-gallon pot, typically $25–$40 (sometimes stocked)
- 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
- Shape lightly after spring bloom; can be clipped as a low hedge.
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.
Guides that include this plant
- Dog-safe plants for a part-shade bed in zone 8 (as a substitute)
- Natural-style plants for a sunny bed in zone 8 (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Walter's viburnum 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Tropical sageSalvia coccineaperennial · zones 8–11
- Turk's capMalvaviscus arboreus var. drummondiiperennial · zones 8–10
- Bee balmMonarda didymaperennial · zones 4–9
- Beach strawberryFragaria chiloensisgroundcover · zones 7–10
- Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'shrub · zones 7–10
- Northern sea oatsChasmanthium latifoliumornamental grass · zones 5–9
If you can't find it
Plants that do the same job and pass the same rules for the conditions Walter's viburnum 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight' suits.
- Texas sage (Texas ranger)Leucophyllum frutescenszones 8–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Southern wax myrtleMorella ceriferazones 8–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Virginia sweetspire 'Little Henry'Itea virginica 'Sprich'zones 5–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- California lilac 'Concha'Ceanothus 'Concha'zones 8–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
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