Blackhaw

Tolerates drought, clay, and shade, then pays back with white spring blooms and a fall berry crop every bird in the neighborhood will come for.

Blackhaw is among the most adaptable and wildlife-productive native viburnums, and it's tough enough to handle drought, clay, and neglect that would kill other shrubs. Flat white flower clusters in spring are generous and long-lasting, feeding bees and beetles before the leaves fully fill in. The flowers give way to clusters of dark blue-black berries in fall, one of the most valuable wildlife foods in the native landscape, taken by birds throughout fall and into winter. It grows as a large shrub or small tree, often with an attractive horizontal branching pattern that looks structured even without shaping. Fall color is a reliable reddish-purple. The dark glossy bark adds structure through winter. This is the viburnum for someone who wants maximum wildlife value with minimum fuss: it doesn't need good soil, doesn't need consistent water, and deer avoid it.