Side by side
Laurustinus or guelder rose? How to tell them apart
Viburnum tinus · Viburnum opulus
How to tell them apart – laurustinus: evergreen shrub with opposite, dark green leaves and pinkish-white flower heads in the middle of winter; guelder rose: drops its lobed leaves and bears red berries.
Photo: Original uploader was Wouter Hagens at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Guelder rose Viburnum opulus
How do you recognise them?
- Laurustinus
- Evergreen shrub with opposite, dark green leaves and pinkish-white flower heads in the middle of winter.
- Guelder rose
- Shrub with three-lobed, maple-like leaves, flat white flower heads and glossy red berries.
- Compared with laurustinus: drops its lobed leaves and bears red berries.
| Laurustinus | Guelder rose | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, 4–10 cm, oval, untoothed, dark green and glossy, with hairs in the vein axils. | Opposite, 3–5-lobed, coarsely toothed, 5–10 cm; small glands on the leaf stalk. Red autumn colour. |
| Flowering | Pink buds and white, lightly scented flowers in flat heads, from November to April (December–April). | Flat heads of small fertile flowers, ringed by large white outer flowers (May–June) (May–June). |
| Fruit | Metallic blue berries in summer; poisonous. | Glossy red, translucent berries in clusters; poisonous raw. |
| Bark | Reddish young twigs, later greyish-brown. | Greyish-brown and smooth. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 2–3 m | Shrub, 2–4 m |
| Site | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, moist to wet |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees and birds | Yes, for bees and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | April–June | June–July |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Laurustinus is poisonous to people and pets: take care with children and animals.
- Guelder rose is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
Read on
- Plant profile: Laurustinus
- Plant profile: Guelder rose
- Laurustinus: when and how to prune
- Guelder rose: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.