How to grow Guelder rose

Viburnum opulus · European cranberrybush, snowball tree, water elder

A deciduous shrub from Europe and Asia with maple-like leaves, flat white lacecap flowers in late spring and translucent red fruits in autumn. Very hardy and grows about 2.5–4.5 m tall. The fruits are ornamental and bitter; they are not a crop here.

Guelder rose — Photo: Lestat (Jan Mehlich), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts

Type	Shrub
Family	Viburnaceae
Light	Full sun
Frost	tolerates light frost
Where it grows	Open ground

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	—	organic, at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 7 days	—	—
Winter rest	—	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Full sun to part shade, ideally an open, sunny spot.

Soil

Moist, humus-rich but well-drained soil; it tolerates most soil types, including wet ground.

Care

Plant from autumn to early spring while the ground is not frozen or waterlogged. Water a young shrub about once a week in dry spells for its first year or two. It needs little or no feeding; spread 5 cm of compost or well-rotted manure around it in early spring. Pruning is rarely needed; if it is, prune straight after flowering.

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.