nannyberry (Viburnum lentago), photographi

How to Grow Nannyberry

Viburnum lentago · Zones 4-10

Nannyberry is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 4 through 10 and shrugs off deer. Its late spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.

Nannyberry — the short answer

Nannyberry: grown in zones 4–10, shade, pH 5–7.

USDA zones
4–10
Hardy to zone 4 — USDA PLANTS Database (-33 °F, converted).
Soil pH
5–7
USDA PLANTS
Sun
Shade
Growable Ground Plant Database

Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.

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What Nannyberry is

Nannyberry grows as a perennial and reaches around 18 feet at maturity. It blooms white in late spring. It's also deer-resistant.

How to grow Nannyberry

Nannyberry grows in USDA zones 4 through 10. Nannyberry does best in shade — at least 2 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5 to 7.

USDA Zones

4-10

Hardy to zone 4: USDA PLANTS Database lists -33 °F, converted to zone 4a, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: our plant database.

Soil pH

5 - 7

USDA PLANTS

Sun

Shade

Growable Ground plant catalog

Drainage

Data pending

Cold Hardiness

-33°F

The coldest temperature this plant is documented to survive.

USDA PLANTS

Mature Height

18 ft

Growable Ground plant catalog

  1. Plant it right

    Set nannyberry in shade with well-drained soil.

  2. Match the soil

    Nannyberry prefers pH 5 to 7 (USDA PLANTS). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.

  3. Water steadily

    Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.

  4. Shape it while it is young

    Prune nannyberry only to remove dead, damaged or crossing branches while it is young; it is grown for its form, not a harvest, so little more is needed once it settles in.

Where Nannyberry thrives

Nannyberry is hardy across USDA zones 4 through 10. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.

A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 4–10 spans average winter lows from -30°F to 40°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 38 outright and splits 13 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.

Zones 4–10 highlighted on the USDA national hardiness zone map

Zones 4–10·Where Nannyberry growsOpen map →

This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Where Nannyberry stands, state by state

Nannyberry is rated for zones 4–10 — a cold floor USDA puts at -30 to -20°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 38 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 13 more, and 0 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.

Fully inside zones 4–10

38 states

3 of 38 shown

The line runs through

13 states

3 of 13 shown

Nannyberry’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.

State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.

Good to know

Good news for pet owners — nannyberry isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)

Nannyberry offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)

Your land is one point inside Nannyberry's range

This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.

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See if Nannyberry will thrive on your land

Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether nannyberry actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.

Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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How we know this about Nannyberry

The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.

Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•ASPCA

Frequently asked questions

Can I grow Nannyberry in my zone?

Nannyberry grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 10 (Hardy to zone 4: USDA PLANTS Database lists -33 °F, converted to zone 4a, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: our plant database.). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.

When should you plant Nannyberry?

Set nannyberry out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.

How much sun does Nannyberry need?

Nannyberry is shade-tolerant — it gets by on as little as 2 hours of direct sun, so it earns a place most vegetables can't use. A north-facing strip or the ground under a leafy canopy is right where it belongs. A Growable Ground report shows which corners of your land stay shaded through the day, turning those dim spots into planting spots.

What soil does Nannyberry need?

Nannyberry prefers soil pH 5 to 7 (USDA PLANTS). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.

Does Nannyberry attract pollinators?

Yes — nannyberry's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)

Is Nannyberry safe for pets?

Nannyberry is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)