Hello There, Wayfaring Stranger: Viburnum lantana ‘Variegatum’ Greets Migrating Birds with Bright Red Fruits

Viburnum lantana ‘Variegatum’ – Variegated Wayfaring Viburnum with Fruit in August

At this time of year —with migrating birds flocking to shrubs and trees, feasting on seeds and berries— the garden is alive with color and song. I love watching cedar waxwings and rose-breasted grosbeaks as they harvest ripe red fruit from branches of the woody plants surrounding my home. The annual visits of these winged, wayfaring strangers are so delightful, that I find myself continuously adding fruit-bearing plants to attract them to my hilltop (click here for previous post on berry producing shrubs) …

Although the Fuzzy, Green & Gold Foliage is Lovely Throughout the Growing season, Variegated Wayfaring Viburnum’s Bright Red Berries —Attractive to a Wide Variety of Migrating Birds— are the Real Prize

Of course shimmering orange, blue, red and purple berries add delightful, late-season color to gardens, and my favorite group of shrubs —the viburnum— tend to be particularly fruity at this time of year. All of the Viburnum plicatum and Viburnum trilobum cultivars in my garden are already loaded with ripe, red and orange fruit, and the technicolor nannyberries (Viburnum lentago) are just beginning to shift from green to pinky-purple hues.

With season-spanning interest —including blossoms, beautiful summer foliage, berries and fall color— the Viburnums are true workhorses in my garden. Attractive to bees, butterflies and birds, Viburnum lantana ‘Variegatum’ is a perfect example; gracing the garden with green/gold foliage, creamy white blossoms and bright red fruit. I have positioned V. lantana ‘Variegatum’ along the entry garden walk, beside gold and green juniper which bring out the gorgeous variegation in this shrub’s fuzzy foliage. Hardy in USDA zones 3-7, the Wayfaring Viburnum (as Viburnum lantana is commonly known) is one tough shrub. In fact in many states, the species V. lantana —but note, not this particular cultivar— is considered an invasive plant. Although the species itself has spread by seed and become weedy, V. lantana ‘Variegatum’ (pictured here), has proven to be a non-agressive selection. While the mature height/width of V. lantana is generally listed at 6-8′, the Variegated Wayfaring Viburnum growing in my garden has reached only 4′ high and wide in 7 years. As this particular V. lantana cultivar reportedly does not set viable seed, propagation is by soft or semi-hardwood cuttings in spring.

Photographs and Text â“’ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photographs, articles and content on this site, (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!

Do you enjoy The Gardener’s Eden? You can help support this site by shopping through affiliate links (including Amazon book links). A small percentage of each sale will be paid to this site, helping to cover web hosting and maintenance costs. Thank you so much for your support!