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Viburnum prunifolium L.

Black Haw

Modern name

Viburnum prunifolium L.

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.


Genus

Viburnum

Other species in the genus