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Viburnum opulus Caprifoliaceae
European Cranberrybush Viburnum vi-BER-num OP-u-lus
- Deciduous shrub, 8-12 ft (2.1-3.5 m), upright, spreading, arching branches. Leaves opposite, 5-10 cm long, as wide or wider, with pointed lobes, a few disk-like glands on grooved petiole. May develop yellow-red or reddish-purple colors in fall. Flowers white, in 5-5.5 cm flat-topped clusters (cymes), those in the outer ring are 2 cm across, showy, and sterile; the inner ones are fertile, inconspicuous, with yellow anthers. Fruit is 6 mm diam, bright red in fall, persists into winter as red "raisins".
- Sun to part shade. One of the easiest viburnums to grow,
adaptable to extremes of soil and pH. Fruits best in full sun.
- Hardy to USDA Zone 3 Native to Europe, including Britain, northern Africa and northern Asia.
- opulus
: a reference to its name "Opulus of Dioscorides" given by Jean Ruel (1474-1537), French botanist.
- Oregon State Univ. campus: west side of Gilbert Hall.