Shrub · Caprifoliaceae

Downy arrowwood

Viburnum rafinesqueanum

Downy arrowwood is recorded as native to 27 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 433 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

Downy arrowwood at a glance

Native in: 433 counties, across 27 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 3a PLANTS minimum temperature −43°F
Mature height: 6 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Tolerates shade Low water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 3a. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −43°F; zone 3a winters bottom out at −40°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 433 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Alabama 1 county
Arkansas 11 counties
Connecticut statewide record
Delaware 1 county
Georgia 2 counties
Illinois 28 counties
Indiana 22 counties
Iowa 4 counties
Kentucky 15 counties
Massachusetts 2 counties
Michigan 38 counties
Minnesota 52 counties
Missouri 40 counties
New Hampshire 1 county
New Jersey 12 counties
New York 28 counties
North Carolina 14 counties
North Dakota 5 counties
Ohio 17 counties
Oklahoma 2 counties
Pennsylvania 30 counties
South Dakota 3 counties
Tennessee 3 counties
Vermont 3 counties
Virginia 32 counties
West Virginia 7 counties
Wisconsin 60 counties

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record. “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit: Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Mature height: 6 ft
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth form: Multiple Stem
Shape: Erect
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Tolerant (tolerates shade)
Moisture use: Low water use
Drought tolerance: Medium
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: None
Precipitation range: 30 to 45 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Coarse and medium
pH range: 4.5 to 7.1
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: High
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Minimum root depth: 14 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: −43°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 3a and warmer
Minimum frost-free days: 100
Fire tolerance: High

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color: White
Showy flowers: Yes
Bloom period: Late Spring
Foliage color: Green
Showy in fall: No
Keeps leaves: No
Fruit color: Purple

Other

Toxicity: None
Nitrogen fixation: None
Nursery availability: No Known Source
Family: Caprifoliaceae
PLANTS symbol: VIRA

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 rafinesqueanum (PLANTS symbol VIRA).
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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