Forget Hydrangeas: Gardeners Are Loving This Low-Maintenance, Reblooming Shrub

There is no doubt that hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.) are among the most beautiful flowers available. The biggest problem with hydrangeas, however, is that they are high maintenance. They need lots of water, consistent pruning, and the right pH levels for optimal flowering. As such, many gardeners are done with hydrangeas and are on the hunt for low-maintenance alternatives that provide long-lasting blooms.

Viburnum (Viburnum spp.) is one such swap out for hydrangeas, specifically a cultivar known as the Steady Eddy (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'NCVP1'). This flowering shrub looks like a hydrangea plant thanks to its white lacecap flowers that burst forth from deep green foliage. The Steady Eddy is a reliable bloomer that will produce more flowers than another hydrangea lookalike, the Summer Snowflake (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'Summer Snowflake'). A smaller shrub that doesn't spread more than 5 feet vertically or horizontally, the Steady Eddy is ideal for tighter garden spaces where large hydrangea bushes might not fit. 

Another reason to choose the Steady Eddy over a hydrangea is that, like almost all viburnum flowers, it's not fussy. Where hydrangeas need lots of water, the Steady Eddy is drought-tolerant and relatively resistant to pests, especially deer. Viburnum also aren't choosy about the type of soil they are planted in, so you won't have to worry too much about where you plant them, as you would with hydrangeas. 

Unlike hydrangeas, the Steady Eddy viburnum is the kind of flower you can plant and then leave alone. It doesn't need much attention at all and is a great flowering shrub for your landscape. It has many applications, such as border planting or edging along a pathway. Hardy between USDA zones 5 through 8, the Steady Eddy will do well in full sun or partial shade and only needs moderate moisture. So, whereas you would have to water hydrangeas deeply up to 3 times weekly, the Steady Eddy only needs average watering when the soil is starting to look dry.  

The Steady Eddy is also an extremely reliable bloomer, often producing two sets of flowers in the spring and again in the summer. The only real maintenance the Steady Eddy needs is occasional pruning of older branches every three to five years. Be sure to do this immediately after the flowers have died back. Viburnum flowers are old wood growers, meaning the next year's flower buds form on the old wood. Pruning them in the spring means those new buds won't have had time to form, saving you from potentially killing the new viburnum flowers. When fall rolls around, enjoy watching the foliage transform from deep green to brilliant burgundy. The viburnum will die back in the winter and reliably bloom again come spring.