Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus)
Common Names of Guelder Rose:
Crampbark, Crampbush, Guelder Rose
Description of Guelder Rose:
A woody perennial shrub with pinkish-white fertile flowers and large white sterile outer flowers.
Leaves are divided into three or five broad angular lobes, sometimes toothed, turning purple in autumn.
The stem is slender, and the berries are red, glossy drupes.
Physical Characteristics of Guelder Rose:
Leaves are 5–10cm long, three-lobed with serrated edges, green in spring, changing to orange-yellow or red in autumn.
Flowers grow in large clusters, creamy-white, sometimes pink, with larger sterile outer flowers.
Bright red berries grow in sticky bunches.
Habitat of Guelder Rose and Distribution:
Native to Britain, Ireland, Europe, Russia-Asia, and naturalized in America.
Prefers hedgerows, copses, scrubs, woodland edges, riverbanks, and lakeshores.
Food Uses of Guelder Rose:
Berries are best picked after a frost or freezing to sweeten them. Used as a native substitute for cranberries.
Eaten in traditional dishes in Europe and Russia, added to porridge, baked goods, jams, jellies, marmalades, pastes, mousse, pie fillings, vinegar, and condiments.
Berries used as a substitute for tea or coffee.
Medicinal Uses of Guelder Rose:
Bark is antispasmodic and sedative, historically used for menstrual cramps, dysmenorrhoea, endometriosis, and fibroids.
Contains viopudial, a compound that relaxes smooth muscle and lowers blood pressure.
Used to relieve hiccups, pain, and spasms in muscles, stomach, and intestines.
Other Uses of Guelder Rose:
Grown in gardens as an ornamental plant.
Some toxicity concerns; berries, if eaten in excess, may cause stomach upsets. Avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Harvest Time and Techniques - Guelder Rose:
Bark harvested in early spring before bud formation. Berries are picked after becoming slightly translucent.
Leaves have a distinctive dinosaur foot appearance, differentiating them from Elder.
Berries can be confused with toxic vines like woody nightshade; ensure correct identification.
Fun Facts around Guelder Rose:
Berries can be used to make ink when dried and turned black.
Berries may have a bitter and tangy flavor, excellent for digestion.
The larger external flowers are sterile, and the fruits are technically known as drupes.