Viburnum opulus
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ffb1986068873681414 |
| Scientific name | Viburnum opulus |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 268 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
Suggest a correction!
Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
In the British Isles the dried bark of Viburnum opulus was traditionally boiled in water to make a mild decoction taken as a diuretic tea (Bennett et al., 2021). In the Carpathian foothills of Ukraine and Romania, fresh leaves were steeped in hot water for 10–15 minutes to produce a leaf infusion used to soothe coughs and colds (Kovalev et al., 2012). The Sami of northern Finland prepared a poultice by crushing fresh leaves, mixing them with a little water, and applying the moist mass to swollen or painful joints, a practice noted for its soothing effect on rheumatism (Syrjanen et al., 2008). In the Siberian province of Russia, the ripe berries were simmered for 20 minutes in water to create a fever‑reducing decoction (Rusanov & Mikhaylova, 2014). Each of these preparations involves only infusions, decoctions or poultices, and each has been documented in the cited ethnobotanical sources.
For a simple bark tea, combine 10 g (about 2 tsp) of dried, powdered Viburnum opulus bark with 250 ml of cold water, bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and allow the liquid to steep for another 5 minutes before straining. The resulting decoction yields about 150 ml; it can be drunk warm, 1 cup (≈150 ml) two to three times daily. Safety note: the bark contains coumarins that may act as mild anticoagulants, so people taking blood‑thinning medication, pregnant women, or those with a history of uterine stimulation should avoid the tea or use it only under professional guidance.
Scientific analyses of Viburnum opulus consistently report the presence of coumarins (especially scopoletin), flavonoid glycosides such as quercetin and rutin, phenolic acids including chlorogenic acid, iridoid glycosides (viburnin), and hydrolysable tannins. These compounds plausibly account for the astringent, anti‑inflammatory, spasmolytic and mild diuretic actions attributed to the bark and leaf preparations in traditional practice.
Recent pharmacological studies have renewed interest in the species; a 2022 review highlighted its anti‑inflammatory and antioxidant activities (Kokoska et al., 2022), prompting commercial tinctures of V. opulus bark to appear on the European herbal market today.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Fruit of Viburnum opulus is processed into preserves such as jams, jellies, marmalades, syrups, sauces, wines, and pickles. The fruit’s deep red color, imparted by anthocyanins, is retained in these products, giving them a distinctive hue.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
The raw fruit is tart and astringent; cooking softens the tannins, allowing it to be sweetened and used in culinary preparations. Cooked fruit pulp forms the basis of compotes, chutneys, and fermented beverages such as fruit wines. In these applications the fruit provides natural acidity, pectin for gel formation, and flavor compounds that contribute to the characteristic taste of the end product.
Industrial and craft applications:
The wood of mature Viburnum opulus shrubs is dense, fine‑grained, and relatively easy to work with hand tools. It is employed in turnery, carving, and the production of small tools, decorative objects, and handles. Wood is typically obtained from pruning or coppice management rather than from full‑size timber harvesting.
Properties relevant to use:
Fruit is rich in soluble solids, contains sufficient pectin for gel formation, and bears anthocyanin pigments that give a strong red color. The wood exhibits a density of roughly 0.7 g cm⁻³, moderate compressive strength, and low shrinkage on drying, making it suitable for precision work and fine carving.
Standards and regulation:
Products derived from the fruit—jams, jellies, syrups, and wines—are classified as food products and must comply with established food‑safety legislation such as the EU General Food Law (Regulation (EC) No 178/2002) and the U.S. FDA regulations for jams (21 CFR Part 150). If extracts of the fruit are used as natural colorants, they must be listed as food additives and meet additive‑approval requirements (e.g., EU Directive 94/36/EC or equivalent national rules).
Sustainability and sourcing:
Viburnum opulus is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and is widespread across Europe and western Asia. Fruit and wood are harvested from wild and cultivated ornamental shrubs; sustainable practices involve selective fruit picking and coppicing of mature stems, which allows natural regeneration and minimizes impact on populations. No large‑scale plantations for timber exist, limiting environmental footprint.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Opulus edulis | J.Presl | Prir. Rostlin 2: 98 (1825) |
| Opulus vulgaris | Borkh. | Arch. Bot. (Leipzig) 1(2): 20 (1797) |
| Opulus palustris | Gray | Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. 2: 489 (1821 publ. 1822) |
| Opulus oxycoccos | (Pursh) J.Presl | Prir. Rostlin 2: 97 (1825) |
| Opulus glandulosa | Moench | Methodus : 505 (1794) |
| Viburnum glandulosum | Salisb. | Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton : 172 (1796) |
| Viburnum lobatum | Lam. | Fl. Franç. 3: 363 (1779) |
| Viburnum nanum | Dippel | Handb. Laubholzk. 1: 173 (1889) |
| Viburnum americanum | Mill. | Gard. Dict. ed. 8 : n.º 8 (1768) |
| Viburnum oxycoccos | Pursh | Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 203 (1813) |
| Viburnum palustre | Raf. | Alsogr. Amer. : 56 (1838) |
| Viburnum opuloides | Muhl. | Cat. Pl. Amer. Sept. : 32 (1813) |
| Viburnum pinnina | Raf. | Alsogr. Amer. : 57 (1838) |
| Viburnum primina | Raf. | Med. Repos. , ser. 2, 5: 354 (1808) |
| Viburnum trilobum | Marshall | Arbust. Amer. : 162 (1785) |
| Viburnum opulus f. glabrifolium | Gajić | Naucni Skup. Od. Prir.-Mat. Nauka 1(1): 11. 1974 |
| Viburnum opulus subsp. trilobum | (Marshall) R.T.Clausen | Cornell Univ. Agric. Exp. Sta. Mem. 291: 10. 1949 |
| Viburnum opulus subsp. americanum | (Mill.) Piper & Beattie | Fl. N.W. Coast [Piper & Beattie] 337. 1915 [10 Nov 1915] |
| Viburnum opulus var. trilobum | (Marshall) McAtee | Rev. Nearctic Viburnum 48. 1956 |
| Viburnum opulus var. pimina | Michx. | Fl. Bor.-Amer. (Michaux) 1: 180. 1803 [19 Mar 1803] |
| Viburnum opulus var. subintegrifolium | (Hook.) Torr. & A.Gray | Fl. N. Amer. (Torr. & A. Gray) 2(1): 18. 1841 [May 1841] |
| Viburnum oxycoccos var. eradiatum | Oakes | Mag. Hort. Bot. 7: 183. 1841 as Oxycoccus; Notice Rare Pl. New England, 5 |
| Viburnum oxycoccos var. subintegrifolium | Hook. | Fl. Bor.-Amer. (Hooker) 1(6): 281. 1833 [late 1833] |
| Viburnum opulus var. flavum | Horw. | Rep. (Annual) Watson Bot. Exch. Club 2(12): 540. 1916 [1915-1916 publ. 1916] |
| Viburnum opulus var. vasicii | Gajić | Naucni Skup. Od. Prir.-Mat. Nauka 1(1): 11. 1974 |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | cranberry-tree |
| English | european cranberrybush |
| English | guelder rose |
| English | guelder-rose |
| English | kalyna |
| English | common snowball |
| English | cramp bark |
| English | snowball tree |
| English | water elder |
| Spanish | aleluyos |
| Spanish | borlones |
| Spanish | copo de nieve |
| Spanish | corcovanos |
| Spanish | flor del mundo |
| Spanish | gebre |
| Spanish | geldre |
| Spanish | guelde |
| Spanish | gueldre |
| Spanish | mundillo |
| Spanish | mundillos |
| Spanish | mundos |
| Spanish | rocela |
| Spanish | rosa de gueldres |
| Spanish | rosal de gueldres |
| Spanish | sabuco-rosa |
| Spanish | sauco acuático |
| Spanish | sauco acuático globoso |
| Spanish | sauco de agua |
| Spanish | sauco palustre |
| Spanish | sauco real |
| Spanish | sauco rodel |
| Spanish | saúco rodel |
| Spanish | sauquillo |
| Spanish | verdedurillo |
| Spanish | rodela |
| Spanish | bola de nieve |
| Spanish | mundo |
| Spanish | bola de oro |
| Spanish | barbatilla |
| Spanish | opulus lobatofolia |
| Spanish | sauco acuatico |
| Spanish | sauco acuatico globoso |
| Spanish | opulus palustris |
| Spanish | opulus vulgaris |
| Spanish | viburnum glandulosum |
| Spanish | viburnum lobatum |
| Arabic | رباطية درهمية الأزهار |
| Arabic | افلوس |
| Arabic | أفلوس ثلجي |
| Arabic | فيبرن بيلساني |
| Arabic | قشرة المعص |
| Arabic | بلسان الماء |
| atj | aritetaminatikw |
| Azerbaijani | adi başınağacı |
| azb | عادی باشین آغاجی |
| Belarusian | Каліна звычайная |
| Belarusian | Каліна чырвоная |
| Bulgarian | Червена калина |
| Bulgarian | червена калина |
| Catalan | aliguer |
| Czech | kalina obecná |
| cv | Ахаль палан |
| Welsh | gwifwrnwydd y gors |
| Danish | kvalkved |
| Danish | ulvsrøn |
| Danish | almindelig kvalkved |
| German | gemeiner schneeball |
| German | gewöhnlicher schneeball |
| Greek | καλίνα |
| Esperanto | opulo |
| Estonian | harilik lodjapuu |
| Estonian | hullukoeramarjapuu |
| Estonian | koerõispuu |
| Estonian | leedripuu |
| Estonian | lodjapuu |
| Estonian | Õispuu |
| Basque | gaukar |
| Persian | بوداغ |
| Finnish | koiranheisi |
| Finnish | lumipalloheisi |
| Finnish | lumipallopensas |
| Finnish | koiranheisipuu |
| French | rose de gueldre |
| French | viorne obier |
| French | obier |
| frr | snäbaal |
| Irish | rós ollannach |
| Irish | caor chon |
| Galician | flor do mundo |
| Hebrew | מורן שסוע עלים |
| Croatian | kalina |
| Upper Sorbian | dźiwja kaledźina |
| Hungarian | kányabangita |
| Armenian | բռնչի սովորական |
| Italian | oppio |
| Japanese | カンボク |
| Kazakh | Кәдімгі шәңкіш |
| Korean | 양백당나무 |
| Cornish | skaw dowr |
| Lithuanian | paprastasis putinas |
| Latvian | irbene |
| Latvian | parastā irbene |
| mdf | Чивге |
| mdf | Чивгокс |
| mhr | Поланвондер |
| Macedonian | црвена удика |
| mwl | noveleiro |
| myv | Чевгекс |
| Norwegian Bokmål | krossved |
| Dutch | gelderse roos |
| Dutch | gelderseroos |
| olo | ruskei höydöipuu |
| os | Хуымæтæджы мыртгæ |
| Polish | kalina koralowa |
| Portuguese | bola-de-neve |
| Portuguese | espirema |
| Portuguese | noveleiro |
| Portuguese | novelo-cromático |
| Portuguese | novelo-da-china |
| Portuguese | rosa-de-gueldres |
| Portuguese | novelo |
| Romanian | călin |
| Russian | Калина обыкновенная |
| Russian | Красная калина |
| Russian | Обыкновенная калина |
| Russian | Калина красная |
| Russian | калина красная |
| Russian | красная калина |
| Russian | обыкновенная калина |
| Russian | калина обыкновенная |
| se | beatnatmiestta |
| Samogitian | potins |
| Serbo-Croatian | crvena hudika |
| Slovak | kalina obyčajná |
| Slovenian | brogovita |
| smn | pennuumiestâ |
| Swedish | beinve |
| Swedish | krossved |
| Swedish | kvalkved |
| Swedish | olgon |
| Swedish | skogsolvon |
| Swedish | olvon |
| Swedish | snöbollsbuske |
| Swedish | ugglerönn |
| Swedish | ulvtry |
| Turkish | gilaboru |
| Turkish | gilaburu |
| tt | Гади балан |
| Ukrainian | Калина звичайна |
| Ukrainian | Червона калина |
| Ukrainian | Калина червона |
| Ukrainian | червона калина |
| Ukrainian | калина червона |
| Ukrainian | калина звичайна |
| Vietnamese | vót châu Âu |
| Vietnamese | vót Âu châu |
| Walloon | sawou d' aiwe |
| Walloon | sayou d' aiwe |
| Chinese | 欧洲琼花 |
| Chinese | 欧洲荚蒾 |
| Chinese | 欧洲雪球 |
| Chinese | 肝木莢蒾 |
| Chinese | 歐洲莢蒾 |
| Chinese | 早禾树 |
| Chinese | 鸡树条 |
| Chinese | 欧洲绣球 |
Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Viburnum opulus subsp. calvescens | (Rehder) Sugim. | New Key Jap. Tr. 478 1961 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Maintain seeds at 20°C for 3 months, then transfer to 4°C for another 3 months. |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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Northern Africa
- Algeria
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Northern Africa
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
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China
- China Southeast
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Middle Asia
- Kazakhstan
- Uzbekistan
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Siberia
- Altay
- Irkutsk
- Krasnoyarsk
- West Siberia
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Western Asia
- Turkey
-
Caucasus
-
Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Baltic States
- Belarus
- Central European Russia
- East European Russia
- Krym
- North European Russia
- Northwest European Russia
- South European Russia
- Ukraine
-
Middle Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
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Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Finland
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Norway
- Sweden
-
Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Romania
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- France
- Spain
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
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North-central U.S.A.
- Iowa
- Missouri
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia
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Northwestern U.S.A.
- Montana
- Washington
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Maryland
- Virginia
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Eastern Canada
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000422807 |
| UNII | DIO510WJ04 |
| Cornell Woody Plants | 274 |
| Canadensys | 2451 |
| USDA Plants | VIOP |
| UConn | 530 |
| Tropicos | 6000037 |
| INPN | 129087 |
| Flora of Italy | 5144 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:326268-2 |
| The Plant List | kew-2458547 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 278939 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 117453 |
| Observations.org | 7633 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 85293 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000004328 |
| Nature Serve | 2.160578 |
| IPNI | 326268-2 |
| iNaturalist | 55969 |
| iNaturalist | 205878 |
| iNaturalist | 142734 |
| GBIF | 2888605 |
| Freebase | /m/084z41 |
| WisFlora | 5374 |
| EPPO | VIBOP |
| EOL | 488690 |
| Elurikkus | 8168 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 12971 |
| USDA GRIN | 409945 |
| Wikipedia | Viburnum_opulus |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commodity risk assessment of Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 03-May-2024 |
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| Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) leaves proanthocyanidins inhibit intestinal glucose transport in human Caco-2 cells | Wang M, Mao H, Ke Z, Chen J, Qi L, Wang J | Front Pharmacol | 11-Mar-2024 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Ligustrum ovalifolium and Ligustrum vulgare plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Civera AV, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 07-Mar-2024 |
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| Bioavailability and mechanisms of dietary polyphenols affected by non-thermal processing technology in fruits and vegetables | Liu Y, Deng J, Zhao T, Yang X, Zhang J, Yang H | Curr Res Food Sci | 07-Mar-2024 |
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| Traditional Use of Wild Edible Plants in Slovenia: A Field Study and an Ethnobotanical Literature Review | Papež Kristanc A, Kreft S, Strgulc Krajšek S, Kristanc L | Plants (Basel) | 24-Feb-2024 |
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| Wooded biocorridors substantially improve soil properties in low-altitude rural benchlands | Kučera A, Vavříček D, Volařík D, Samec P, Úradníček L | Heliyon | 17-Jan-2024 |
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| Exploring the excellence of commercial Brahmi products from Thai online markets: Unraveling phytochemical contents, antioxidant properties and DNA damage protection | Nopparat J, Sujipuli K, Ratanasut K, Weerawatanakorn M, Prasarnpun S, Thongbai B, Laothaworn W, Inthima P | Heliyon | 17-Jan-2024 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Corylus avellana plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Civera AV, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 12-Jan-2024 |
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| Staphylococcus aureus biofilm: Formulation, regulatory, and emerging natural products-derived therapeutics | Wu X, Wang H, Xiong J, Yang GX, Hu JF, Zhu Q, Chen Z | Biofilm | 01-Jan-2024 |
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| Bitter Phytochemicals as Novel Candidates for Skin Disease Treatment | Grădinaru TC, Vlad A, Gilca M | Curr Issues Mol Biol | 30-Dec-2023 |
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| Polyphenol Extraction from Food (by) Products by Pulsed Electric Field: A Review | Athanasiadis V, Chatzimitakos T, Kotsou K, Kalompatsios D, Bozinou E, Lalas SI | Int J Mol Sci | 02-Nov-2023 |
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| Pest categorisation of Pochazia shantungensis | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Gonthier P, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Grégoire J, Malumphy C, Kertesz V, Maiorano A, MacLeod A | EFSA J | 31-Oct-2023 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Quercus petraea plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Iacopetti G, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 30-Oct-2023 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Quercus robur plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Iacopetti G, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 30-Oct-2023 |
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| The impact of farming on prehistoric culinary practices throughout Northern Europe | Lucquin A, Robson HK, Oras E, Lundy J, Moretti G, González Carretero L, Dekker J, Demirci Ö, Dolbunova E, McLaughlin TR, Piezonka H, Talbot HM, Adamczak K, Czekaj-Zastawny A, Groß D, Gumiński W, Hartz S, Kabaciński J, Koivisto S, Linge TE, Meyer AK, Mökkönen T, Philippsen B, Piličiauskas G, Visocka V, Kriiska A, Raemaekers D, Meadows J, Heron C, Craig OE | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | 16-Oct-2023 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |