guelder-rose
Viburnum opulus
Despite its name and rose-like autumn foliage, it is actually a member of the viburnum family, not a true rose.
- Scientific name
- Viburnum opulus
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Dipsacales › Viburnaceae › Viburnum
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Moist woodlands, forest edges, hedgerows, and marshy mires.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (utilizes sunlight, water, and soil nutrients via photosynthesis).
- Range
- Europe, Northern Asia, North Africa
- Size
- Up to 4-5 meters (13-16 feet) in height and spread.
- Lifespan
- 50 to 100 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Woodland fragmentation, agricultural clearance, and heavy browsing by deer.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch and beautiful to observe. However, its bright red berries are mildly toxic to humans if consumed raw, causing digestive upset. Do not ingest the fruit. If berries are eaten in large quantities, seek medical advice.
Viburnum opulus , commonly known as the guelder-rose , or guelder rose (/ˈɡɛldər/), is an Old World species of flowering plant in the family Adoxaceae.
Photo: Tom Norton, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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