Vibernum opulus

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• European cranberry viburnum
• European cranberry-bush
• European highbush cranberry
• cranberry viburnum
• Guelder Rose
• crampbark
• European cranberry bush
• snowball tree
• water elder

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Viburnum pinnina
• Viburnum primina
• Opulus vulgaris
• Opulus trilobifolia
• Viburnum opulus var. pimina
• Viburnum opulus var. vasicii
• Viburnum opulus var. variegatum
• Viburnum palustre
• Viburnum opulus f. variegatum
• Viburnum oxycoccos var. eradiatum
• Viburnum opulus xanthocarpum
• Viburnum nanum
• Viburnum oxycoccos var. subintegrifolium
• Viburnum lobatum
• Viburnum opulus var. xanthocarpum
• Viburnum glandulosum
• Viburnum opulus f. xanthocarpum
• Viburnum opulus var. roseum
• Viburnum opulus f. glabrifolium
• Viburnum opulus nanum
• Viburnum opuloides
• Viburnum opulus var. subintegrifolium
• Viburnum opulus var. flavum
• Viburnum opulus f. nanum
• Viburnum opulus f. flavum
• Viburnum opulus var. sterile
• Viburnum opulus var. nanum
• Viburnum opulus var. sterilis
• Viburnum opulus f. pygmaeum
• Viburnum opulus f. roseum
• Opulus palustris
• Opulus oxycoccos
• Opulus glandulosa
• Opulus edulis
• Viburnum opulus var. europeanum
• Viburnum opulus var. europaeum
• Viburnum oxycoccos

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Dipsacales, it is classified under the family Viburnaceae. Finally, it is placed in the genus Viburnum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific distribution pattern across the northern regions of Europe. It can be found growing naturally throughout the various landscapes of Denmark. Its presence is also well-documented in the northern territories of Finland and Norway. Furthermore, the species is widely distributed across the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. These locations collectively highlight the plant's preference for Northern European climates.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Viburnum opulus is characterized by its preference for moist, nutrient-rich environments, typically colonizing lowland areas where water availability is consistent. It thrives in various damp habitats, including riverbanks, marsh edges, fenlands, and the shaded margins of deciduous woodlands, where it can access the high levels of soil moisture necessary for its growth. This species is well-adapted to alluvial soils and can often be found in riparian zones, benefiting from the stable moisture levels found in these low-lying landscapes. Its ability to tolerate partial shade makes it a common component of understory layers in temperate forest ecosystems, where it plays a vital role in the local food web by providing nectar for pollinators and berries for various bird species.

Habitat :

Lowland

Life history

The life history of Viburnum opulus is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, ensuring its presence in the ecosystem over multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, it maintains its photosynthetic organs on elevated branches above the ground level, a life form that contributes to its structural complexity within its habitat. This species exhibits a deciduous nature, meaning it sheds its foliage annually in response to seasonal changes, typically entering a period of dormancy during the colder months. Its growth strategy as a phanerophyte allows it to occupy various ecological niches where it can establish a robust, woody presence throughout its long-term life cycle.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

Morphologically, Viburnum opulus is characterized as a woody shrub that functions as a self-supporting, independent organism, neither acting as a parasite nor an epiphyte, as it maintains a terrestrial lifestyle. The plant exhibits a growth form typical of shrubs, with a height that typically ranges from a minimum of 1 m to a maximum of 4 m, resulting in a mean plant height of approximately 3.24 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

4 m

Plant height mean:

3.23733333333333 m

Plant height min:

1 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Viburnum opulus is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a common metabolic strategy for temperate woody shrubs that facilitates carbon fixation under moderate light and temperature conditions. As a non-carnivorous organism, it relies entirely on soil-based nutrient uptake rather than the capture of prey. The leaf morphology is substantial, with a mean leaf size of approximately 20.86067 cm² and a mean width of 7 cm, which reaches both its minimum and maximum values at this 7 cm mark. The leaves exhibit a maximum length of 9 cm, contributing to a structural design that supports efficient light interception. Furthermore, the plant maintains a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 179.41 cm²/g, a physiological metric that reflects the relationship between its leaf area and its dry mass, providing insight into its resource investment and photosynthetic capacity.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf length max:

9 cm

Leaf size mean:

20.86067 cm²

Leaf width mean:

7 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

179.41 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Viburnum opulus is characterized by a sexual reproductive cycle that typically begins with flowering in June and concludes in July. The pollination process is biotic, specifically utilizing an insect pollination syndrome to ensure fertilization, although self-fertilization is also present within the species. Following successful pollination, the plant produces fleshy, indehiscent fruits categorized as drupes, which have a mean fruit length of 0.55 cm. These fruits contain seeds with a consistent seed volume of 73 mm³ and a seed mass that ranges from a minimum of 0.0305 g to a maximum of 0.046 g, with an overall mean seed mass of approximately 0.0711745556666667 g. The dispersal of these seeds is zoochorous, specifically via an endozoochorous mechanism, where animals consume the fleshy fruit and disperse the seeds. Notably, asexual reproduction is absent in this species, making sexual reproduction through seed production the primary method for propagation.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

endozoochorous

Flowering time :

Jun

Flowering time :

Jul

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Fruit length mean:

0.55 cm

Fruit type :

drupe

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Seed mass max:

0.046 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0711745556666667 g

Seed mass min:

0.0305 g

Seed volume max:

73 mm³

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Viburnum opulus has 2 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, leaf.

Fruit

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Leaf

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Chemicals

Viburnum opulus has 83 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include CHLOROGENIC ACID, Carotenoids, kaempferol, quercetin, (+)-catechin.

CHLOROGENIC ACID

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Carotenoids

1. Nutrients
2. Protoplasma

kaempferol

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

quercetin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

(+)-catechin

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

(-)-Epicatechin

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

2-carboxyarabinitol

1. Dr. Duke

ALUMINUM

1. Dr. Duke

Aesculetin

1. Dr. Duke

Anthocyanins

1. Protoplasma

Activities

Viburnum opulus has 568 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Cytoprotective, Osteogenic, 11B-HSD-Inhibitor, 5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor, 5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor.

Cytoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Nutrients

Osteogenic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Nutrients

11B-HSD-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

ACE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

AP-1-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

ATPase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Acaricide

1. Dr. Duke

Acetylcholinergic

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Viburnum opulus has 7 reported investigations on conditions identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include endometriosis, cough, ovarian cysts, oxidative damage, tuberculosis.

Endometriosis

1. Nutrients
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Cough

1. Nutrients

Ovarian cysts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Oxidative damage

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Tuberculosis

1. Nutrients

Ulcers

1. Nutrients

Urinary tract diseases

1. Nutrients

Preparations

Viburnum opulus has 1 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Viburnum opulus fruit extracts.

Viburnum opulus fruit extracts

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association