Viburnum lantana
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| Viburnum lantana | ||||||||||||||
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 Foliage and immature fruit
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| Viburnum lantana L. |
Viburnum lantana (Wayfaring Tree) is a species of Viburnum, native to central, southern and western Europe (north to Yorkshire in England), northwest Africa, and southwestern Asia.[1][2][3]
It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 4-5 m tall. The leaves are opposite, simple oval to lanceolate, 6-13 cm long and 4-9 cm broad, with a finely serrated margin; they are densely downy on the underside, less so on the upper surface. The hermaphrodite flowers are small (5 mm), creamy-white, produced in dense cymes 4-10 cm diameter at the top of the stems; they are produced in early summer, and pollinated by insects. The fruit is an oblong drupe 8 mm long, green at first, turning red, then finally black at full maturity, and contains a single seed. The seeds are dispersed when birds eat the fruit, then deposit the seeds in another location in their droppings.[2][3]
An older name for the plant is hoarwithy. 'Hoar' means white and is in reference to the white hairs under the leaves, whilst 'withy' means a pliant stem.[4]
[edit] Cultivation and uses
It is commonly grown as an ornamental plant for its flowers and berries, growing best on alkaline soils. A number of cultivars have been selected, including 'Aureum', with yellow leaves in spring.[3]
The fruit is mildly toxic, and may cause vomiting or diarrhoea if eaten in large amounts.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Flora Europaea: Viburnum lantana
- ^ a b Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. ISBN 0-340-40170-2
- ^ a b c Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
- ^ The Reader's Digest Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of Britain p.87.
- ^ Plants for a Future: Viburnum lantana
