This is a spring blooming shrub, so any pruning needs to be completed after blooming in May. These can grow to between 3.9” and 7.8” (10 – 20 cm) long. Maple syrup contains several important minerals like manganese, zinc, calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium.
Leaves are lanceolate in shape and grow alternately on long reddish thin stems. Uncharacteristically “Viburnum” (vye-BUR-num) is not bastardized Greek but dead Latin for “wayfaring tree.” A Eurasian shrub, Viburnum lantana, is called the wayfaring tree because it grew beside trails that are now roads. You can sweeten them and use them as a pie filling. Viburnum lantana is a great shrub for pollinators as it attracts birds and butterflies. Although the red berries look juicy and tempting, they are toxic to humans. The bright red colors contrasting with dark green foliage can help brighten up your yard. Both types of these trees produce sweet or sour edible berry-like fruits. Required fields are marked *.
During the spring, lots of small cream flowers form together in one large flower head. There are so many to choose from, but wayfaring tree viburnum is a great choice. This means that bittersweet plant is related to tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. Even though the red berries look soft and juicy, they are poisonous for humans and are dangerous for children. Botanists can’t agree. American holly is a large tree that has red poisonous berries. The identifying features of hawthorns are short trunks, branches that spread out and leaves arranged spirally on the shoots. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Eating these berries by mistake can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramping. This shrub grows to between 6.5 and 13 ft. (2 – 4 m) tall and has large leaves. Did you know that humans can eat several parts of the maple tree? Your email address will not be published. Identified in winter by: the pale yellow-green buds which are opposite one another and are closely pressed against a slightly hairy twig. Also called Aronia berries, these sour-tasting shrub berries really make your mouth pucker. The most noticeable feature of the redcurrant plant is the large clusters of edible red berries hanging off the branches. The size will also make it a great choice for a screen or hedge. Different species of hackberry trees are found throughout the northern hemisphere and several are native to the USA. Viburnums are great flowering shrubs that give season long interest even after the flowers are gone. You can eat them straight off the tree or bush or use them in salads, desserts, or cereals.
Although the tree’s red fruits look like berries, they are a type of pome.
There is a compact variety of Wayfaring tree viburnum, the variety ‘Mohican’ which only grows up to 8 feet tall and wide and is resistant to bacterial leaf spot and has orange to red to black fruit that lasts up to 4 weeks on the shrub. Jack Raven Bushcraft Ltd is registered in England and Wales number 7806326, Feel free to re-use materials published on our website; we ask that you credit Jack Raven Bushcraft as the source. You can eat hawthorn berries, however similar to apples, the seeds can be toxic and you shouldn’t eat them. Viburnum lantana flowers, photo courtesy of Dow Gardens, Dow Gardens, Bugwood.org, UNL web framework and quality assurance provided by the, Apply to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Give to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Nebraska Extension: Community Environment, Plant of the Month - Wayfaring Tree Viburnum. It is a large shrub, growing up to 15-20 feet tall and wide with white, non-fragrant flowers in May. ... Cherries are edible, just the taste could not be so nice, in that case, sugar will help them to be transformed in a good jam.