Part 67

Bark: Reddish-brown, broken into irregular plates.

Twigs: Slender, grayish, sometimes with orange dots, smooth; leaf scars opposite, crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.

Buds: Red, nearly smooth, long-pointed, up to ¾ inch long.

Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering or rounded at the base, up to 3 inches long, about half as wide, sharply and finely toothed along the edges, green and slightly hairy on the upper surface, yellow-green and minutely black-dotted on the lower surface; leafstalks up to 1½ inches long, sometimes rusty-hairy, winged.

Flowers: Many in broad, round-topped clusters, slightly fragrant, appearing during April and May, each flower small and creamy-white.

Fruit: Fleshy, oval to ellipsoid, blue-black, up to ½ inch long, sweet, containing a single stone.

Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, dark orange-brown.

Use: Sometimes planted as an ornamental.

Habitat: Rocky woods; woods along streams.

Range: Quebec across to Manitoba, south to Colorado, east across northern Illinois to Georgia.

Distinguishing Features: The Sweet Viburnum, like other viburnums, has opposite, simple leaves which are finely and sharply toothed. It differs from other viburnums in Illinois by its long-pointed leaves and its winged leaf stalks.

BLACK HAW Viburnum prunifolium L.

Other Name: Nannyberry.

Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 6 inches; crown irregular.

Bark: Reddish-brown, broken into irregular plates.

Twigs: Slender, grayish, sometimes with orange dots, smooth; leaf scars opposite, crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.

Buds: Brown, nearly smooth, up to ½ inch long.

Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades oval to ovate, short-pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering to the base, up to 3 inches long and 2 inches broad, finely and sharply toothed along the edges, dark green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface; leafstalks up to ⅔ inch long, smooth, scarcely or not at all winged.

Flowers: Many in broad, round-topped clusters, appearing during April and May, each flower small and white.

Fruit: Fleshy, oval to ellipsoid, blue-black, up to ⅔ inch long, sweet, containing a single stone.

Wood: Hard, heavy, strong but brittle, coarse-grained, reddish-brown.

Use: Sometimes planted as an ornamental.

Habitat: Rocky woods.

Range: Connecticut across to Michigan, southwest to Kansas, south to Texas, east to Florida.

Distinguishing Features: Black Haw differs from the Sweet Viburnum by the absence of wings along the leafstalks. It differs from the Rusty Nannyberry by the absence of rusty hairs on the buds and leafstalks.

RUSTY NANNYBERRY Viburnum rufidulum Raf.

Other Name: Southern Black Haw.

Growth Form: Small tree to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8 inches; crown irregular.