Plant Family: Adoxaceae
Growth Form: Small understory shrub 1 to 2 meters high.
Leaves: Opposite, simple, coarsely toothed, with three pointed lobes, closely resembling a maple leaf.
Bark: Medium gray to brown, fairly smooth.
Flowers: Small, white, in open clusters (cymes) up to 8 cm across; the stamens protrude, May to June.
Fruits: Small ellipsoid drupes, greenish yellow, ripening to dark blue; July to September.
Habitat: Understory of dry deciduous woods, where it may spread by rhizomes and form thickets.
Range: Common throughout New England and all of the eastern U. S. and Canada.
Similar Species: Highbush Cranberry has similar leaves, but the outer flowers in each cluster are large, showy, and sterile, and the ripe fruits are red.
Comments: Viburnums have opposite leaves, small white unscented flowers with five petals held in attractive cymes, and fruits that are red or blue drupes. Various cultivars are popular with gardeners.
