Rusty Blackhaw
Viburnum rufidulum
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Rusty blackhaw grows from Virginia westward to Missouri, southward to Texas, and eastward to Florida. It grows in dry to moist, loamy soils and partial to full sun.
Fruit: A 12-15 mm long, blue (with a whitish bloom) drupe. They ripen from September to October.
Flowers: A small, white flower arranged 5" wide rounded cymes. They appear from March to April.
Uses: Rusty blackhaw is sometimes planted as an ornamental hedge due to its low maintenance requirement and attractive fall color.
Ethnobotany: The bark was used in the past to treat cramps and colic.
Importance to wildlife: The tree attracts pollinators. The fruit is eaten by squirrels, songbirds, and chipmunks.
The full rusty blackhaw tree. Rusty blackhaw can grow as either a large shrub or a small tree.
The bark of a rusty blackhaw. Bark is deeply checkered and nearly black on large trunks.
A single leaf on a rusty blackhaw. Leaves are 5-10 cm long, leathery, toothed, glossy green above, and covered with rusty hairs below.
The underside of a rusty blackhaw leaf, showing the rusty hairs along the midrib.
The terminal bud of a rusty blackhaw. Terminal buds are blunt, rusty wooly or scurfy, and valvate.
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