Viburnum obovatum

Viburnum obovatum is sometimes referred to as Walter’s viburnum in reference to Thomas Walter of South Carolina who described the species in his Flora Caroliniana in the 1700’s. Viburnum obovatum is native to U.S. and is in the Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family)  
Photo Credit: © Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org
Viburnum obovatum
Common Name: small-leaf arrowwood
Other Common Names: walter viburnum, Walter's viburnum
Plant Functional Group: Evergreen broadleaf
Class > Order > Family: Magnoliopsida > Dipsacales > Adoxaceae
What does the species look like? Viburnum obovatum is a semi-evergreen, evergreen, shrub or small tree growing to 12 to 20 or more feet in height. Small-leaf arrowwood usually has a broad spreading crown and multiple gray-barked trunks. Its leaves are small, shiny, dark green and wedge shaped. Flowers are white, fragrant and showy. Its fruit is a small berry like drupe which starts out red and turns shiny blue-black when mature.   Viburnum obovatum grows in wet hammocks, thickets, swamp margins and near streams. It has low to moderate tolerance to drought and is cold tolerant. It prefers full sun but tolerates part shade. Small-leaf arrow can tolerate a variety of soils, but prefers moist to wet soils.   Birds and other animals eat the fruit of small-leaf arrow. It is a good nectar plant for butterflies. Cardinals and other songbirds use the foliage for nesting. Bees are also attracted to the flowers of small-leaf arrow. Some consider it a good specimen for landscape plantings
Where is the species found?
States & Provinces
AL, FL, GA, SC
Special Considerations for Observing
If drought seems to be the cause of leaf color or fall for a plant, please make a comment about it for that observation.
Which phenophases should I observe?
Do you see...?
Leaves Breaking leaf buds
One or more breaking leaf buds are visible on the plant. A leaf bud is considered "breaking" once a green leaf tip is visible at the end of the bud, but before the first leaf from the bud has unfolded to expose the leaf base at its point of attachment to the leaf stalk (petiole) or stem.
More...

How many buds are breaking?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Young leaves
One or more young, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "young" and "unfolded" once its entire length has emerged from a breaking bud, stem node or growing stem tip, so that the leaf base is visible at its point of attachment to the leaf stalk (petiole) or stem, but before the leaf has reached full size or turned the darker green color or tougher texture of mature leaves on the plant. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.

How many young leaves are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Flowers Flowers or flower buds
One or more fresh open or unopened flowers or flower buds are visible on the plant. Include flower buds or inflorescences that are swelling or expanding, but do not include those that are tightly closed and not actively growing (dormant). Also do not include wilted or dried flowers.
More...

How many flowers and flower buds are present? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), simply estimate the number of flower heads, spikes or catkins and not the number of individual flowers.

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Open flowers
One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. Flowers are considered "open" when the reproductive parts (male stamens or female pistils) are visible between or within unfolded or open flower parts (petals, floral tubes or sepals). Do not include wilted or dried flowers.
More...

What percentage of all fresh flowers (buds plus unopened plus open) on the plant are open? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), estimate the percentage of all individual flowers that are open.

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Fruits Fruits
One or more fruits are visible on the plant. For Viburnum obovatum, the fruit is a berry that changes from green to red or black.
More...

How many fruits are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Ripe fruits
One or more ripe fruits are visible on the plant. For Viburnum obovatum, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned red or black.
More...

What percentage of all fruits (unripe plus ripe) on the plant are ripe?

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Recent fruit or seed drop
One or more mature fruits or seeds have dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit. Do not include obviously immature fruits that have dropped before ripening, such as in a heavy rain or wind, or empty fruits that had long ago dropped all of their seeds but remained on the plant.
More...

How many mature fruits have dropped seeds or have completely dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
What do these phenophases look like?

There is currently no photoguide available for this species. If you'd like help us create one, use the guidance document and species template provided here. Then send it via email to education@usanpn.org when it is complete.

USDA PLANTS profile for small-leaf arrowwood (USDA Symbol: VIOB )