Guelder Rose

Guelder Rose (Viburnum Opulus) - A handsome and often rather tall native bush, frequent in the underwoods of many districts. In the wild form the outer flowers only of the cyme are sterile, and these are about three-quarters of an inch across; the centre is filled with small perfect flowers. In autumn this plant is valued for its clusters of fine red fruits and the color of its leaves. Of its best known varieties is the var. Sterile (Common Guelder Rose). This has few or no perfect flowers, the whole truss consisting of the more showy barren ones, which makes it much more rounded, and, together with the pure whiteness of the flowers, has led to its being popularly known as the Snowball Tree. A yellow-fruited kind differs from the type in the fruits being yellow instead of red when ripe.

Related Flowers

Viburnum Acerifolium

Viburnum Acerifolium - A shrub of 4 to 6 feet, from the mountains of New England, and distinct in its broad and glossy three-lobed leaves. The flowers are not showy, but give place to oval red berries, blackish-purple when ripe. The leaves turn a fine crimson-purple in autumn, and the plant will grow in dry rocky soils.

Viburnum Carlesii

Viburnum Carlesii - A charming Japanese shrub of rather loose habit, with roundish leaves, silvery on the underside and greyish-green above from their coating of fine hairs. The flowers expand as rounded clusters of good size in the latter part of April, though the buds are formed early the previous autumn. They are pink in bud, opening white and retaining a flush on the outside; they are finely fragrant and last a long time. Though uninjured at Kew during recent winters, the plant is still on trial as to its hardiness in this country, and might possibly lose its buds in a severe winter. Cuttings.

Viburnum Cassinoides

Viburnum Cassinoides - Of the American Viburnums, one of the best, growing some 6 feet high, with thick leathery leaves, 3 to 4 inches long, and yellowish white flowers, during the early part of June, in flat cymes 4 to 5 inches across, and handsome fruit, the berries changing first to rose color and finally to bluish-black. As they do not ripen simultaneously, fruits of both these colors, as well as green ones, occur on a cluster at the same time. N. and Arctic America.

Viburnum Cotinifolium

Viburnum Cotinifolium - A spreading shrub or low tree of 20 feet, found high on the Himalayas, yet so tender as to need shelter or a place on a warm wall during our winters. Its young leaves are downy but wear smooth, remaining grey and woolly beneath, ovate in shape, and 4 1/2 inches long by 2 1/2 wide. The flower-clusters appear in May and June upon short woolly stalks, the small white flowers flushed with pink, and succeeded by bright scarlet berries. A beautiful shrub for warm districts.

Viburnum Dahuricum

Viburnum Dahuricum - A spreading shrub of 5 to 8 feet, with grey stems and small woolly leaves. It is spread from Dahuria to W. China, and is hardy, thriving in light moist humus, and covered during early summer with white funnel-shaped flowers in small clusters, followed by fragrant oval berries, at first red, but black and sweet when ripe.

Viburnum Davidii

Viburnum Davidii - Of little flower beauty, this distinct species is valuable for its evergreen character, hardiness, and the mound-like cushions formed by its handsome leathery foliage. It is 1 to 2 feet high, and often the same across, attributes which fit it well for certain positions in the rock garden. Its dull white flowers are in stiff terminal heads; the fruits blue. W. China.

Viburnum Dentatum

Viburnum Dentatum - A bushy shrub of 15 feet, with ovate leaves on slender stems and abundant white flowers in June and July, when the shrub is at its best. These give place to small rounded berries of a bright dark blue, covered with a fine bloom. There are two varieties, one with finely variegated leaves, and laevigatum, which flowers later and is larger in leaf. They are handsome shrubs for damp ground. N. America.

Viburnum Dilatatum

Viburnum Dilatatum - A shapely shrub of erect growth, brought long ago from the East and fully hardy, yet almost unknown in our gardens. Its bright green leaves resemble those of the common Hazel, and its showy heads of pure white flowers, appearing in May and June, sometimes measure 6 inches across. These give place to scarlet berries, hanging for many weeks, and making this one of the most handsome of hardy shrubs.

Viburnum Furcatum

Viburnum Furcatum - A handsome species, a native of N. Japan at low levels, and of the mountains of the more southern portions, and one of the finest of shrubs for autumn color. The large and broad leaves turn brilliant scarlet and reddish-purple before they fall, and it grows 12 to 15 feet in height. Japan.

Viburnum Henryi

Viburnum Henryi - A lax-habited hardy evergreen shrub from C. China, attaining to 10 feet or so high. It is both distinct and choice, and of high fruit ornament in autumn, when the pretty panicles of coralred and black fruits are colored. The smooth lanceolate leaves are shining green; flowers white.

Viburnum Lentago

Viburnum Lentago - A large bush or low tree of 30 feet, common throughout N. America in moist woods. Its broadly-oval pointed leaves are of deep shining green, changing in autumn to varied tints of purple, red, and yellow. The white flowers appear in stemless clusters during May and June, followed by large black berries, bluish with a delicate bloom, pleasant to the taste, and hanging for several months. It is sometimes grown as a standard with good effect. A variety in which the flower-heads have short stems is known as subpedunculatum. Allied to this is V. prunifolium, which also attains large size in dry stony places. Its leaves are Plum-like and shining, with saw-like edges, and the flowers pure white, fragrant, with prominent yellow-tipped stamens. The berries are bluish-black with a grey bloom.

Viburnum Odoratissimum

Viburnum Odoratissimum - As a rule, when grown out of doors this is given a place on a wall, as it is not hardy in all winters. It is evergreen, foliage is handsome, each leaf 3 to 6 inches long, leathery, and of a lustrous dark green. The flowers are in corymbs, and although small and dull white, are charming for their fragrance. China. Syn., V. Awafuki.

Japanese Guelder Rose

Japanese Guelder Rose (Viburnum Plicatum) - A very sturdy, robust, flowering shrub. I have seen young, newly-rooted plants injured the first year after being put out, but when once established it will stand any frost up to 30 degrees without lasting injury. It is a shrub of neat yet graceful habit, well clothed with dark green, rather plaited leaves. It bears its fine trusses, 3 inches or more across, on short branches springing from the whole length of the previous years growth, thus forming fine sprays of pure white blossom. Syn., V. Tomentosum Var.

Viburnum Rhytidophyllum

Viburnum Rhytidophyllum - Perhaps the most distinguished and ornamental evergreen of the whole race. The leaves, which are broadly lanceolate, are about 9 inches in length and 2 1/2 inches broad, dark green above, and felted with dimcolored tomentum below. The vigorous growths are terminated by corymbs of yellowish-white flowers, which in September give place to huge clusters of fruits, at first red and finally glossy black. It attains 8 to 10 feet, and as much through, and is handsome in isolation. C. and W. China.

Viburnum Sieboldi

Viburnum Sieboldi - A handsome and distinct evergreen bush, with large glossy leaves and large heads of white flowers, in May and June in Southern England. A promising kind, at least for districts where our evergreens usually escape the effects of hard winters.

Viburnum Wrightii

Viburnum Wrightii - An erect shrub from the mountains of N. Japan, and hardy in Britain, though as yet hardly known. Of spreading habit, the leaves are large, thick, and rounded, coarsely toothed, and finely tinted with scarlet and ruddy-purple on fading, and its large fruits are brilliant in their early stages. It promises to be one of the best for autumn effect.

Great Snowball Bush

Great Snowball Bush (Viburnum Macrocephalum) - A Chinese species, not very hardy, with enormous flower clusters. In some places it thrives against a wall, and in the south as a bush. Fortune saw it 20 feet high in Chusan. The wild plant from which it has been derived is in cultivation, and is known as V. Keteleeri. This has the centre of the truss (which is much flatter than in V. macrocephalum) filled with fertile flowers, the outer ones only being sterile.

Hobble Bush or Moosewood

Hobble Bush or Moosewood (Viburnum Lantanoides) - A N. American kind, a large shrub, the leaves are almost round, and whilst averaging 3 to 4 inches across are sometimes over 6 inches. The truss has its outer flowers sterile, and they are 1 inch or more in diameter; both they and the smaller ones that fill the centre are white. The fruit is at first coral-red, afterwards dark purple or almost black, and the foliage dies off a rich claret.

Wayfaring Tree

Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum Lantana) - One of the two kinds native of Britain, and frequent in hedgerows and copses, especially in chalk or limestone soils. At its best it is almost a small tree, 12 feet to 15 feet high. The flowers are white during May and June, on flat clusters at the ends of the branches. The fruit is red at first, ultimately black, and the leaves often die off a rich red. There is a variegated form of no particular value.