Viburnum rufidulum Raf.

Rusty Blackhaw; Southern Blackhaw; Blue Haw

Tree

Perennial

Vascular

Rusty Blackhaw is a native deciduous shrub in the Moschatel family (Adoxaceae). It is native to all but the extreme southern counties in Alabama. Rusty Blackhaw occurs in dry to mesic pine or hardwood forests. Rusty Blackhaw is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 20 feet in height. The deciduous leaves are opposite, petiolate, elliptic to ovate or obovate in outline, with serrate margins. The leaves are dark shiny green above and pubescent with rusty brown hairs below. The leaves turn reddish-purple before falling in the autumn. Buds and young stems, particularly flowering stems are also densely pubescent with rusty brown hairs. Flowers are produced in rounded or flat-topped compound cymes at the ends of new growth. A cyme is a branched inflorescence (cluster of flowers) in which the central flower opens first and the lateral flowers open in sequence, from the inside out. The individual flowers are five-lobed and creamy white in color. The fruit is a purplish-black drupe (a fleshy fruit in which the seed is surrounded by a hard stony pit). The fruit are eaten by birds and small mammals, and are edible by humans. Rusty black-haw sends up suckers from the roots, and can be thicket forming. It is easy to grow in average to dry soils in full to partial sun. Plants grown in full sun have a more compact growth form and produce more flowers and fruit. Rusty Blackhaw is available from some nurseries, and some selected forms such as “Royal Guard” are available. Plants can also be grown from seed, cuttings, and from root sprouts.--A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL)

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