Uh oh, I think I just planted a monster

[spinbaby]

The guy at the garden center recommended something called a cranberry viburnum for our boggy area. Cute bush, blooms in the spring, has red berries in the fall for the birds. It was described on the label as growing up to five feet tall.

AFTER I planted it, I do a bit of looking around on-line and discover that I've planted something that turns rampant in boggy areas, grows up to 20 feet tall, and puts out suckers.

[TygrBright]

1. Double check with the supplier...

...as it's possible this is a new cultivar/hybrid/crossbreed/etc. that is a "dwarf" version of the species. If they can't give you a reliable assurance to that effect, yank it now before you get too attached to it. Either replant in a drier location (if you really love it) or find it an adoptive home, or make expensive compost with it.

Then re-plant something appropriate for your boggy area. Some varieties of blueberry thrive nicely without turning rampant in boggy conditions, some on the other hand become nightmares. Some of the smaller barberries are okay with damp conditions and put out very pretty berries and leaf color, though they are prickly as allgetout. Hollies are good, too. A dwarf Alberta spruce is a pricey but very attractive, long-lived, and generally reliable option if it isn't actually waterlogged.

horticulturally,
Bright

[bleedingheart]

2. it is native to Pennsylvania...

so you don't need to worry about doing something bad....

http://www.ktweber.com/fswcd/Viburnum%20cranberry.pdf

is this what you planted?

I have one and it grew really big the past two years and this year was it's first to flower...

you can prune it.

[spinbaby]

3. Viburnum opulus

Related, apparently. There are different cultivars--I'm hoping I got the right one. I have a bad record of buying cute plants that turn out to be monsters. We have a butterfly bush I cut back to the ground each year and still manages to grow over 8 feet tall by the time it blooms. It, too, was supposed to be 5 feet tall.

[Arkansas Granny]

4. I know the feeling. I planted a dwarf crepe myrtle by my front

gate. Was supposed to grow to 6 - 8' tall and now stands at least 15'. I've trimmed all the branches off the main trunks up to about 4' so it doesn't obstruct the gate. I have no idea how wide it would be if I didn't do that.