Tree · Caprifoliaceae

Possumhaw

Viburnum nudum · includes its varieties and subspecies

Possumhaw is recorded as native to 20 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 604 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

Key facts · USDA PLANTS

Possumhaw at a glance

Native in: 604 counties, across 20 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 4a PLANTS minimum temperature −33°F
Mature height: 15 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Tolerates shade Medium water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 4a. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −33°F; zone 4a winters bottom out at −30°F, the coldest half-zone that stays within that limit.

Counties where it is native

The 15 counties with the most ZIP codes among the 604 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Alabama 16 counties
Arkansas 23 counties
Connecticut statewide record
Delaware 3 counties
District of Columbia 1 county
Florida 38 counties
Georgia 64 counties
Kentucky 19 counties
Louisiana 29 counties
Mississippi 23 counties
New Jersey 16 counties
New York 44 counties
North Carolina 79 counties
Pennsylvania 48 counties
Rhode Island 4 counties
South Carolina 32 counties
Tennessee 34 counties
Texas 28 counties
Virginia 87 counties
West Virginia 16 counties

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record of a variety (VINUC). “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit: Shrub, Tree
Duration: Perennial
Mature height: 15 ft
Growth rate: Slow
Growth form: Multiple Stem
Shape: Erect
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Tolerant (tolerates shade)
Moisture use: Medium water use
Drought tolerance: Medium
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: None
Precipitation range: 35 to 50 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Medium
pH range: 4.9 to 7
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: High
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Minimum root depth: 14 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: −33°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 4a and warmer
Minimum frost-free days: 110
Fire tolerance: Medium

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color: White
Showy flowers: Yes
Bloom period: Early Summer
Foliage color: Green
Showy in fall: No
Keeps leaves: No
Fruit color: Blue

Other

Toxicity: None
Nitrogen fixation: None
Nursery availability: Routinely Available
Family: Caprifoliaceae
PLANTS symbol: VINU

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Scope: Viburnum nudum (PLANTS symbol VINU), including 2 varieties and subspecies folded into the species.
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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