# guelder-rose (*Viburnum opulus*) The guelder-rose is a lovely shrub with beautiful white flowers that bloom in spring. It has bright red berries in the fall, which are fun to look at, but they are not safe to eat! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 12 - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** European Cranberrybush, Water Elder ![guelder-rose](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Viburnum_opulus_bunched.jpg&width=800) Photo: Waitblock, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Viburnum_opulus_bunched.jpg) ## Appearance The guelder-rose is a deciduous shrub with lobed, maple-like green leaves that turn vibrant red or purple in autumn. It boasts flat-topped clusters of delicate white flowers in spring, followed by bright, glossy red berries in late summer. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Dipsacales - **Family:** Viburnaceae - **Genus:** Viburnum ## Interesting facts - Despite its name, it's a honeysuckle relative, not a true rose! - Its big, lacy flower clusters look like snowflakes when they bloom in spring! - Some people call it 'cramp bark' because old remedies used it for muscle aches! - The wood was historically used for arrows, earning it the name 'arrowwood'! ## Special abilities - **Bird Buffet:** Its bright red berries attract many birds, which then help spread the guelder-rose's seeds far and wide. - **Flower Lures:** Large, showy outer flowers attract pollinators to smaller inner ones, ensuring good seed production. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 200-500 cm - **Spread:** 200-400 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Common Blackbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-blackbird) (*Turdus merula*) — Berries provide winter food. - **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — Attracts bees with nectar and pollen. - **Eaten by:** Viburnum aphid (*Aphis viburni*) — Aphids feed on young shoots and leaves. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Don't eat the berries, as they can make you feel unwell. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify guelder-rose? Compare how the fruit is clustered, the leaves and their arrangement, the stems and any thorns. Red, blue and black fruits grow on lots of unrelated plants, and the same color can show up on both edible and poisonous species. Berry Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is guelder-rose? 200-500 cm ### How wide does guelder-rose spread? 200-400 cm ### How big are the flowers on guelder-rose? 0.5-1.5 cm ### When does guelder-rose bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is guelder-rose edible? No ### Is guelder-rose toxic? Mild ### What is guelder-rose's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Boerner Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boerner-botanical-gardens) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [South Newbury Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/south-newbury-village-historic-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Cylburn Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cylburn-arboretum) — Maryland, US · Botanical Garden - [Fort Atkinson](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-atkinson) — Iowa, US · Forest - [Greendale Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/greendale-historic-district) — Wisconsin, US · Historic District - [J. Edward Roush Lake](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/j-edward-roush-lake) — Indiana, US · Natural Landmark [View all places to see guelder-rose](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/guelder-rose) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Guelder-rose: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/guelder-rose)