Side by side
Guelder rose or wayfaring-tree? How to tell them apart
Viburnum opulus · Viburnum lantana
How to tell them apart – guelder rose: lobed leaves, large white outer florets and translucent red berries; wayfaring-tree: shrub with thick, wrinkled leaves that are felted underneath, flat white flower heads in May and berries that turn from green through red to black.
Photo: Original uploader was Wouter Hagens at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Guelder rose Viburnum opulus
How do you recognise them?
- Guelder rose
- Shrub with three-lobed, maple-like leaves, flat white flower heads and glossy red berries.
- Compared with wayfaring-tree: lobed leaves, large white outer florets and translucent red berries.
- Wayfaring-tree
- Shrub with thick, wrinkled leaves that are felted underneath, flat white flower heads in May and berries that turn from green through red to black.
| Guelder rose | Wayfaring-tree | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, 3–5-lobed, coarsely toothed, 5–10 cm; small glands on the leaf stalk. Red autumn colour. | Opposite, 5–10 cm, oval, finely toothed, thick and wrinkled; underside grey-felted with star-shaped hairs. |
| Flowering | Flat heads of small fertile flowers, ringed by large white outer flowers (May–June) (May–June). | Flat heads (6–10 cm) of small, creamy white flowers, without large outer florets, in May–June (April–May). |
| Fruit | Glossy red, translucent berries in clusters; poisonous raw. | Flattened, oval berries that turn from green through red to glossy black, often all colours at once in a single head (August–September); mildly poisonous. |
| Bark | Greyish-brown and smooth. | Young twigs and buds grey-felted; older branches greyish-brown. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 2–4 m | Shrub, 2–4 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, moist to wet | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, dry |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees and birds | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Yes, take care with children and pets |
| Pruning months | June–July | June–July |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Wayfaring-tree is poisonous to people and pets: take care with children and animals.
- Both are native and good for wildlife: choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have.
Read on
- Plant profile: Guelder rose
- Plant profile: Wayfaring-tree
- Guelder rose: when and how to prune
- Wayfaring-tree: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
- Laurustinus or guelder rose
- Ninebark or guelder rose
- Guelder rose or Japanese snowball
- Guelder rose or field maple
- Guelder rose or red-berried elder
- Japanese snowball or wayfaring-tree
- Leatherleaf viburnum or wayfaring-tree
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.