Mapleleaf Viburnum

Viburnum acerifolium

Mapleleaf viburnum is the viburnum for the place where the sun barely reaches. It grows naturally as a forest understory shrub, thriving in the kind of deep shade that would challenge most flowering plants. The three-lobed, maple-like leaves give it away from a distance. they're almost too pretty for an understory plant, with a texture and shape that's elegant in a low-light setting. In late spring, small white flower clusters appear above the foliage. The dark purple-black berries that follow in fall feed birds through migration. The fall color is the revelation: in enough light, mapleleaf viburnum turns rose-pink, lavender, and burgundy all at once in late October. one of the most unusual fall color palettes of any native shrub. Deer leave it alone even in high-pressure areas. It suckers moderately to spread as a colony under trees.