Viburnum prunifolium L.

TSO logo

Sponsor this page

For information about how you could sponsor this page, see How You Can Help

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Viburnum prunifolium' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/viburnum/viburnum-prunifolium/). Accessed 2024-03-28.

Common Names

  • Black Haw

Glossary

apex
(pl. apices) Tip. apical At the apex.
glabrous
Lacking hairs smooth. glabrescent Becoming hairless.
ovate
Egg-shaped; broadest towards the stem.
perfect
(botanical) All parts present and functional. Usually referring to both androecium and gynoecium of a flower.

References

There are no active references in this article.

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Viburnum prunifolium' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/viburnum/viburnum-prunifolium/). Accessed 2024-03-28.

A deciduous, tall shrub or sometimes a small tree, 20 to 30 ft high; branchlets rigid, glabrous and reddish when young. Leaves glabrous, ovate, oval or obovate, sometimes roundish, 112 to 312 in. long, 1 to 2 in. wide, rounded or wedge-shaped at the base, blunt or short-pointed at the apex, dull green above, pale below; stalks not or slightly winged, reddish, 13 to 34 in. long. Flowers white, 14 in. across, uniformly perfect, produced during June in scarcely stalked cymes 2 to 4 in. across. Fruits dark blue, oval, 12 to 23 in. long, sweet and edible.

Native of eastern and eastern-central N. America, ranging in the south as far west as Texas: introduced early in the 18th century. This makes a very handsome small tree, especially if kept to a single stem when young, forming a shapely rounded head of branches. The leaves colour red and yellow in the autumn. It is allied to V. lentago and V. rufidulum.