Coppertop® Sweet Viburnum

The Coppertop Sweet Viburnum is a brilliant, bold, and beautiful new ornamental shrub from the Southern Living Plant Collection! It features glossy dark maroon-red new growth that fades to copper and then olive green over the season. Therefore, it sports a multi-toned appearance throughout much of the season. Furthermore, it also produces small white flower clusters with a light fragrance in spring.

It grows naturally upright with a bushy form and reaches  8-10′ H x 5-6′ W at maturity. Its foliage is surprisingly compact and dense, without any pruning. Therefore, this is a notably low-maintenance addition to your landscape. 

It’s perfect for a trimmed hedge, privacy screen, mass planting, or even as a specimen.

This selection is great for the south, thanks to its impressive heat and drought tolerance.

Coppertop Sweet Viburnum Care

Hardy from USDA Zones 8-10, down to 10°F when fully established.

Plant in Full Sun for ideal foliage growth and color.

Water 2-3 times per week for the first growing season. More water may be needed during the Summer in times of extreme heat and/or drought.

Prefers average garden soil with good drainage.

Fertilize with a slow-release, balanced fertilizer in spring to encourage new growth and the overall health of your plant.

How To Plant

1. First, determine your planting location(s) for your Coppertop Sweet Viburnum based on the planting requirements listed above.
2. Then, dig a hole that’s about three times the width of your plant’s rootball.
   • The hole needs to be deep enough that the top of the plant’s root ball is even with or slightly above the ground.
3. Mix your native soil with a bag or two of rich garden soil or composted manure to provide additional nutrients for your growing plant.
   • If your soil is clay-rich, we recommend mixing pine bark in with your native soil at a ratio of about 1:1. This helps to improve the drainage and breathability around the plant’s roots.
4. Fill the hole back in around your plant with your soil mixture.
   • Afterward, we recommend applying 3-4 inches of wood mulch around the base of your plant to help it retain moisture.
5. Soak your new planting to settle the soil and hydrate your plant.
6. This is a good time to fertilize your new plant as well. If planting in spring or early fall, use a balanced slow-release fertilizer. If you’re planting in summer or mid-fall, we recommend a rooting fertilizer.

Spacing Recommendations for the Coppertop Sweet Viburnum

For a seamless planting, plant your plants 3-4 feet apart. For space between each, plant over 6 feet apart.

Popular Companion Plants

• Try it alongside other Southern Living Plant Collection evergreen shrubs that grow well in similar growing conditions, such as the Sunshine Ligustrum, Jubilation Gardenia, and Purple Diamond Loropetalum.
• Plant it with other selections in its species, such as the Chinese Snowball Viburnum or Snow Joey Viburnum, in a mixed garden bed or foundation planting.
• Use it as a trimmed hedge? Border it with some perennials such as Agapanthus or Gerbera Daisy plants.

Why Order from PlantsbyMail.com?

Plants are our passion, and we’re choosy about what we’ll send to our customers. We carefully mature our plants into their pots, pick the best ones to ship, and send them on their way to your front door. All of our plants are shipped in their pots with soil, never bare-root. If you have any issues with your order on arrival, contact us and let us know at 1-866-618-5659 or email us at [email protected].