Viburnum rufidulum

Raf.

Southern black haw, Rusty blackhaw, Bluehaw, Rusty nannyberry

Adoxaceae Edible: Fruit 11,588 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Viburnum rufidulum, also known as the rusty blackhaw, blue haw, rusty nanny-berry, or southern black haw, is a flowering species of shrub or small tree that is common in parts of the Eastern and Central United States. It produces attractive flowers and fall foliage, as well as fruits that are popular with some species of bird.

Description

A large shrub or small tree. The trunk is short. The crown is spreading and irregular. It grows 6 m tall. The trunk is 15 cm across. The leaves are opposite and 5-10 cm long by 2.5-6 cm wide. They are narrowly oval and have fine teeth along the edge. The leaves are slightly thickened. They are shiny green above and with rusty hairs underneath. The leaves turn shiny red in autumn. The flowers are 6 mm wide. They are white. They are in upright, flat, stalkless clusters. These can be 7.5-15 cm wide. They are covered with rusty hairs. The fruit are 12 mm long. They are oval and slightly flat. They are blue with a whitish bloom. They droop on slender reddish stalks.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. The flesh is sweet, somewhat like raisins, but the fruit is nearly all seed. Flavour is best after a frost. The ellipsoid fruit is up to 15mm long and contains a single large seed.

Medicinal Uses

The bark is antispasmodic and has been used in the treatment of cramps and colic.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It grows in uplands and forests.

Where It Grows

North America, USA,

Cultivation

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but is ill-adapted for poor soils and for dry situations. It prefers a deep rich loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Best if given shade from the early morning sun in spring. A fast-growing but short-lived species in the wild. Plants grow well but do not flower very freely in Britain. Plants are self-incompatible and need to grow close to a genetically distinct plant in the same species in order to produce fruit and fertile seed.

Propagation

Seed is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Germination can be slow, sometimes taking more than 18 months. Seed harvested green — fully developed but not yet fully ripe — and sown immediately in a cold frame should germinate the following spring. Stored seed needs 2 months of warm stratification followed by 3 months of cold, and may still take 18 months to germinate. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle, grow on in a cold frame or greenhouse, and plant out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Softwood cuttings taken in early summer in a frame should be potted individually once rooting begins and planted out the following late spring or early summer. Half-ripe cuttings, 5–8 cm long with a heel if possible, taken in July or August in a frame should be potted as soon as they start to root. These can be difficult to overwinter and are best kept under glass until the following spring. Mature wood cuttings taken in winter in a frame should root in early spring; pot when large enough and plant out in summer if sufficient new growth has been made, otherwise overwinter in a cold frame and plant out the following spring. Layering of the current season's growth in July or August takes 15 months.

Other Uses

The wood is fine-grained, heavy, hard, and strong, but has a disagreeable odour and is of no particular value.

Notes

There are about 150 Viburnum species. Also put in the family Caprifoliaceae.

Synonyms

V. prunifolium ferrugineum. V. rufotomentosum.

References (5)

Alsogr. amer. 56. 1838
Jordan, J., et al, 2006, Vascular Plants Utilized by the Plains Apache in Southwestern Oklahoma, Publications of the Oklahoma Biological Survey. 2nd Series. Volume 7: 24-33, 2006
Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 907
Little, E.L., 1980, National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees. Alfred A. Knopf. p 675
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/