The Best Shade-Loving Companion To Grow With Viburnum

Viburnums are a popular choice of flowering shrub for gardens, with many varieties, sizes, and colors to pick from. Certain varieties, such as the maple leaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium), prefer a shady location, and most are fairly pest and disease resistant, making them perfect for beginner and expert gardeners alike. If you have a viburnum in a sheltered location and want to add a companion, look no further than bunchberry dogwood (Cornus canadensis). These shade-loving ground cover plants add new textures and shapes to your garden and contrast beautifully with most varieties of viburnums. 

Planting different varieties of shrubs, trees, and flowers together allows you to curate the garden of your dreams. But, aesthetics are not the only reason you may wish to add the bunchberry dogwood to your viburnum shrubbery. Having a mixture of plants in the same area lowers the chances of a disease outbreak and insect damage. By opting to grow bunchberry dogwood alongside your virburnum, you can build a flourishing shade garden. 

Bunchberry dogwood thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 6 and does well when under the shade of bigger shrubs or trees. With small, bright white flowers appearing in the late spring, the bunchberry dogwood brightens up your shade garden. After the white flowers have bloomed, the shrub produces red drupes that look like berries. As many viburnums flower in the spring and early summer, your bunchberry dogwood will usually bloom at the same time to create a stunning display. However, if you have a winter-flowering variety, such as laurustine (Viburnum tinus), adding in bunchberry dogwood will extend the time your shade garden flowers. 

As bunchberry dogwoods are low-maintenance plants, you don't need to prune them regularly. Simply remove any damaged or diseased branches when necessary. It is best to water them regularly after planting, as this will allow them to settle into the area and establish themselves. Bunchberry dogwoods will grow to around 8 inches high and have a maximum spread of around 1 foot, which means that there is no worry of them dominating your viburnum!