×2Wildlife
- Feeds birds
- Butterflies & moths
Birds eat the fruit, which often hangs on into December, and the plant hosts spring azure butterfly caterpillars.
Ships bare root
Native
Mature plant shown. Yours ships dormant and bare root.
What arrives
1 dormant bare-root plant, about 18–24 in tall
- No leaves, no pot, no soil. Roots packed moist.
- Ships in your zone's planting window.
- Leafs out about 4–8 weeks after planting.
Native shrub · edible
Nannyberry
Viburnum lentago
- Ships 18–24 in tall
- 1 plant, bare root
- Zones 2–8
- Grows 15–20 ft
$11.95Was $12.95Save 7%
No reviews yet. Be the first to reviewThe quick answer
Nannyberry is a large native shrub or small tree for USDA zones 2-8 that grows 15-20 ft tall and 8-15 ft wide in full sun to shade. Buy it for hedges, screens and wildlife, with sweet, edible blue-black fall fruit. It is self-infertile: plant two or more seedlings to get fruit, usually 3-5 years after planting.
When it ships to you
Zone scheduleHow many?
This plant needs a partner. Nannyberry is self-infertile, so it needs a second, genetically different nannyberry (another seedling, not another viburnum species) within about 50 ft to set fruit.
Expert recommendedPollination partners we sell
-
×2Plant 2 NannyberryEach seedling is genetically different, so two or more pollinate each other.
Planting a hedge or row?
Free shipping on orders $75+$75
Healthy deliveryOr we replace it
Shipped dormantTimed to your zone
1-year warrantyStore credit, terms
Nannyberry plant profile
Mature size15–20 ft tall · 8–15 ft wide
Typical (15 ft)Up to 20 ft
Large multi-stemmed shrub or small tree that suckers and can form thickets.
USDA hardiness zones2–8
Sun & growth
SlowMediumFast
Adapts to full sun, partial shade or shade; fruits best with more sun. Fruit in about 3–5 years.
SoilpH 6.0–8.0
4 acidic6.59 alkaline
Grows in moist, well-drained soil and tolerates clay, dry sites and occasional wet soil.
Native to the USEdible harvestPlant two or moreReddish-purple to maroon-red fall colorWindbreakHedge & screen
Flowers & fruit
- Fruit in 3–5 yrs
- Edible
Flat clusters of creamy white flowers bloom in late spring, followed by sweet, edible blue-black fruit in fall.
Leaves & fall color
Reddish-purple to maroon-red in fall. Glossy, finely toothed green leaves turn reddish-purple to maroon in fall.
Pests & disease
Generally trouble-free; powdery mildew in shady sites and viburnum crown borer can occur.
Pruning
Prune right after flowering or in late winter; remove suckers if you want a single-trunk form.
Pollination
One Nannyberry won't give you much of a crop. Two will.
Self-infertile: plant two or more genetically different nannyberry seedlings within about 50 feet for fruit. Shipping on one plant is $9.95 and on two it's $10.95, so the second plant adds just $1 in shipping.
Bare root vs potted
Skip the garden-center markup.
Garden centers buy young plants, pot them, grow them another season and mark them up. We ship yours dormant and bare root, timed to your planting window.
Bare root, from us$11.95ships dormant
Example: 3-gal potted American hazelnut$70–$140online retail prices checked Oct 2026
A year with your Nannyberry
SPRINGFlat clusters of small creamy white flowers in late spring
SUMMERGlossy green leaves; green fruit clusters form
LATE SUMMERFruit turns from yellow-pink toward blue-black
FALLLeaves turn reddish-purple; sweet blue-black fruit ripens and feeds birds
Questions people ask about Nannyberry
Do I need two nannyberry bushes to get berries?
Yes. Nannyberry is self-infertile, so plant at least two seedling nannyberries; other viburnum species will not reliably pollinate it.
Are nannyberries edible?
Yes. The ripe blue-black fruit is sweet and can be eaten fresh or made into jam and jelly.
Can nannyberry grow in shade?
Yes. It adapts from full sun to shade, though it grows fuller and fruits more in sun.
Is nannyberry good for a hedge?
Yes. It is a dense, suckering, multi-stemmed shrub that makes a good screen or wildlife hedge.
How cold-hardy is nannyberry?
It is native to Manitoba and northern states and is hardy to zone 2.
What arrives when I order nannyberry?
A dormant bare-root seedling, 18-24 in tall, with no leaves. Seedlings are genetically different, so two or more will cross-pollinate.
Plant it in 4 steps
- Soak the roots in cold water overnight before planting.
- Dig twice as wide as the roots; plant at the depth it grew.
- Water, then mulch. No fertilizer the first season.
- Plant its partner nearby.
Plant facts checked October 2026 against: Morton Arboretum, NC State Extension, Prairie Nursery, Toronto Master Gardeners.