# Wayfaring-tree (*Viburnum lantana*) The Wayfaring-tree is a lovely shrub with beautiful white flowers that turn into bright red berries. It grows in many places and is great for birds who love to eat its fruit! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Wayfaring Tree ![Wayfaring-tree](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Viburnum_lantana_a1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Opioła Jerzy, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Viburnum_lantana_a1.jpg) ## Appearance The Wayfaring-tree has distinctive grey-green leaves, covered in soft, felt-like hairs, especially underneath. It produces flat-topped clusters of creamy-white flowers in spring, followed by berries that change from green to bright red, then eventually shiny black. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Dipsacales - **Family:** Viburnaceae - **Genus:** Viburnum ## Interesting facts - Its strong, flexible branches were once used by people to make ropes! - Look closely! Its soft leaves are covered in tiny, star-shaped hairs! - The plant's old English name means "traveler's tree" as it grew along ancient paths! - Unlike most trees, its winter buds are 'naked' – they have no protective scales! ## Special abilities - **Berry Beacon:** Wayfaring-tree's berries change from green to red, then shiny black, acting as a visual signal to birds that they are ripe and ready to eat. - **Wind Whistler:** Wayfaring-tree has tough, flexible branches that allow it to bend and sway with strong winds without breaking. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 200-500 cm - **Spread:** 150-400 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Blackbird (*Turdus merula*) — Eats the ripe black berries. - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits the white flowers for nectar. - **Eaten by:** [Brimstone butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brimstone-butterfly) (*Gonepteryx rhamni*) — Its caterpillars feed on the leaves. - **Shelter:** [Great Tit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-tit) (*Parus major*) — Nests in its dense branches. ## 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. - [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. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [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. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [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. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low While the berries are fun to look at, it's best not to eat them without asking an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Wayfaring-tree? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Wayfaring-tree? 200-500 cm ### How wide does Wayfaring-tree spread? 150-400 cm ### How big are the flowers on Wayfaring-tree? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Wayfaring-tree bloom? Spring ### Is Wayfaring-tree edible? No ### Is Wayfaring-tree toxic? Mild ### What is Wayfaring-tree's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mitchell-park-horticultural-conservatory) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden ## 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: [Wayfaring-tree: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wayfaring-tree)