Viburnum lentago L.
Nannyberry, sheepberry, sweet viburnum
Nannyberry is native to North America.
Plants: A large, often irregular shrub or small tree up to 30′ (9 m) tall, but usually 12–15′ (3.7–4.6 m). If it has a single trunk, it is up to 10″ (25 cm) in diameter. Multiple trunks are smaller.
Leaves: 2½–4″ (6.3–10 cm) long, medium- to dark green, shiny, roughly oval to elliptical in shape, with serrated edges. In the fall, colors are muted, and include green, red, purple, and yellow.
Flowers: Flowerheads are cream-colored, flat-topped, fragrant, and up to 5″ (12 cm) in diameter.
Fruits: Berries turn from light green to purple, red, and yellow; eventually to blue-black, and are often a mixture of several colors.
Habitats: Moist areas with rich loam to clay-loam soil, such as low woods, swamp borders, or near stream banks.
Edibility: Ripe fruits may be eaten fresh or made into jams and jellies.
See this comparison table showing viburnums that are presently in our database, or this nicely done Viburnum species guide.
Online References:
Viburnum ×vetteri Zabel
7/25/2025 · River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (48 × 32 cm) 
7/8/2022 · Mere Point, Brunswick, Maine 
8/15/2021 · Bass Falls Preserve, Alna, Maine · ≈ 4½ × 3½″ (12 × 9 cm) 
7/26/2025 · River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 4½ × 5″ (11 × 13 cm) 
7/8/2022 · Mere Point, Brunswick, Maine 
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 6½ × 4½′ (2 × 1.4 m) 
7/26/2025 · River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 4½ × 3″ (12 × 8.1 cm) 
7/25/2025 · River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (16 × 11 cm) 
8/15/2021 · Bass Falls Preserve, Alna, Maine · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Dipsacales | Includes viburnum, honeysuckle, snowberry, beautybush, twinflower, many others |
| Family | Adoxaceae | Elders and viburnums |
| Genus | Viburnum | Latin for “a kind of shrub” |
| Species | lentago | Flexible, as the twigs are very tough and flexible |
Viburnum lentago description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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