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Viburnum acerifolium L.

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Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Viburnum acerifolium' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/viburnum/viburnum-acerifolium/). Accessed 2025-02-15.

Family

  • Caprifoliaceae

Genus

Common Names

  • Dockmackie

Glossary

divergent
Spreading from the centre.
glabrous
Lacking hairs smooth. glabrescent Becoming hairless.

References

There are no active references in this article.

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Viburnum acerifolium' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/viburnum/viburnum-acerifolium/). Accessed 2025-02-15.

Viburnum acerifolium

Viburnum acerifolium suckers on the forest floor (Adams County, Ohio, USA. August 2022). Image John Grimshaw.

A deciduous bush 3 to 6 ft high; young branches at first softly downy, becoming glabrous. Leaves maple-like, three-lobed, the side lobes with divergent, slender points, all coarsely toothed, 11⁄2 to 4 in. long and about the same wide; rounded or heart-shaped at the base, with scattered down above, softly downy (especially at first) and covered with black dots beneath; stalk 1⁄2 to 1 in. long, downy. Flowers white, 1⁄5 in. in diameter, uniform and all fertile, produced during June in terminal, long-stalked cymes 2 to 3 in. across. Fruits first red, then purple-black, oval, 1⁄3 in. long.

Native of eastern N. America; introduced in 1736. Although one of the earliest introduced of American viburnums this is now very scarce in gardens; it has little beauty of flower, but is attractive in autumn for its crimson foliage. I have seen it growing along the roadsides in New Hampshire just as V. opulus does at home, but never so vigorous a shrub.

Viburnum acerifolium

The three-lobed maple-like leaves and long-stalked cyme of Viburnum acerifolium. Ghent Botanic Garden (Acc number 20010242 wc), Belgium. 6 September 2010. Image Guillaume Mamdy.

Viburnum acerifolium

Subtle autumn colours developing on Viburnum acerifolium (Yorkshire Arboretum, UK, October 2022). Image John Grimshaw.

Viburnum acerifolium

Foliage on Viburnum acerifolium, with the leaves broadly cordate-ovate to maple-like, taken from a plant at the University of British Colombia Botanical Garden, Canada (21 July 2012). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Viburnum acerifolium

Small stipules at the base of the petiole on Viburnum acerifolium (UBC Botanical Garden, Canada – 21 July 2012). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Viburnum acerifolium

Minutely dotted lamina lower surface on Viburnum acerifolium (UBC Botanical Garden, Canada – 21 July 2012). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

V orientale Pall

A native of the western Caucasus and Asia Minor, this is closely allied to V. acerifolium, but can always be distinguished by the absence of the minute black dots beneath the leaf so characteristic of the American species. It is not so downy, the hairs beneath being almost confined to the vein-axils; otherwise very similar. Rare in gardens.

Viburnum acerifolium V orientale

Viburnum orientale in bloom at Arboretum Het Leen Eeklo, Belgium (17 May 2005). Image © Jan De Langhe.

Viburnum acerifolium V orientale

Inflorescence on Viburnum orientale (Arboretum Het Leen Eeklo, Belgium – 17 May 2005). Image © Jan De Langhe.

Viburnum acerifolium V orientale

Viburnum orientale in fruit in Klaas Verboom's garden, Boskoop, the Netherlands. 24 September 2023. Image Tom Christian.

Viburnum acerifolium V orientale

Foliage on Viburnum orientale DJH, an introduction from Trabzon (Turkey), at Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium (4 July 2019). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Viburnum acerifolium V orientale

Immature flattened fruits on Viburnum orientale DJH (Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium – 4 July 2019). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Viburnum acerifolium V orientale

Leaf variation on Viburnum orientale DJH (Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium – 4 July 2019). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Viburnum acerifolium V orientale

Viburnum orientale DJH, has strap-like stipules but lax glands near/on the petiole, characters shared with V. acerifolium (Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium (4 July 2019). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Viburnum acerifolium V orientale

Viburnum orientale DJH lamina lower surface without dark dots (Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium – 4 July 2019). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

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