Side by side
Leatherleaf viburnum or wayfaring-tree? How to tell them apart
Viburnum rhytidophyllum · Viburnum lantana
How to tell them apart – leatherleaf viburnum: evergreen, with much longer, narrow and deeply wrinkled leaves; wayfaring-tree: deciduous, with smaller, oval leaves.
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How do you recognise them?
- Leatherleaf viburnum
- Large evergreen shrub with long, narrow, deeply wrinkled leaves that are thickly felted underneath; in frost the leaves hang limply down.
- Compared with wayfaring-tree: evergreen, with much longer, narrow and deeply wrinkled leaves.
- 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.
- Compared with leatherleaf viburnum: deciduous, with smaller, oval leaves.
| Leatherleaf viburnum | Wayfaring-tree | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, 10–20 cm, oblong, untoothed or finely toothed, leathery; upper side dark green and deeply wrinkled, underside thickly felted grey to yellowish-brown. | Opposite, 5–10 cm, oval, finely toothed, thick and wrinkled; underside grey-felted with star-shaped hairs. |
| Flowering | Flat heads (10–20 cm) of small, creamy white flowers in May–June; the flower buds are already visible all winter (May–June). | Flat heads (6–10 cm) of small, creamy white flowers, without large outer florets, in May–June (April–May). |
| Fruit | Berries that turn from red to glossy black; mildly poisonous. | 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 | Young twigs and buds yellowish-brown and felted. | Young twigs and buds grey-felted; older branches greyish-brown. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 3–5 m | Shrub, 2–4 m |
| Site | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, dry |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets |
| Pruning months | June–July | June–July |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Leatherleaf viburnum is poisonous to people and pets: take care with children and animals.
- Wayfaring-tree is poisonous to people and pets: take care with children and animals.
- Wayfaring-tree is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
Read on
- Plant profile: Leatherleaf viburnum
- Plant profile: Wayfaring-tree
- Leatherleaf viburnum: when and how to prune
- Wayfaring-tree: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.