Fauna
Plant

Southern Arrowwood

Viburnum dentatum

Also known as Arrowwood Viburnum, Roughish Arrowwood

Southern arrowwood forms dense multi-stemmed thickets renowned for exceptionally straight, upright shoots that Native Americans once crafted into arrow shafts. Flat-topped umbels of cream-white blossoms open in late spring, providing valuable nectar to native bees and butterflies before giving way to vibrant blue-black drupes. Autumn turns its coarse, coarsely toothed foliage into vivid shades of yellow, red, and deep purple across eastern riverbanks and forest margins.

Native ShrubDeciduousBird Friendly
Southern Arrowwood reference1 / 7
(c) Ashwin Srinivasan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ashwin Srinivasan · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySunlight, Water, Soil Nutrients
Predators
  • Viburnum Leaf Beetle
  • White-tailed Deer
ThreatsViburnum leaf beetle infestations, deer browse, habitat conversion
HabitatsFloodplain forests, streambanks, swamp margins, damp woodlands
Life span20–50 years
Classification
  1. OrderDipsacales
  2. FamilyViburnaceae
  3. GenusViburnum
  4. SpeciesViburnum dentatum
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Wild berries have toxic look-alikes; never eat based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
  • Identification: Look for glossy, deeply veined leaves with pronounced, sharp teeth lining every edge.
  • Landscaping: Cultivate in moist, well-draining soils in sun to partial shade for dense wildlife cover.
Related species
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