Alternate name: Squashberry
Family: Caprifoliaceae, Honeysuckle view all from this family
Description Straggly shrub with opposite, 3-lobed leaves and sour, edible red berries.
Leaves: opposite, 2 1/4-4" (5.5-10 cm) long, more or less round but 3-lobed, each lobe tapering to a point, edges toothed; turns crimson in fall.
Bark: grayish.
Flowers: white, tiny, 3-30 in inflorescence up to 1 1/4" (3 cm) across.
Fruit: Smooth, fragrant, sour, edible red berry.
Height: 1 1/2-8' (0.5-2.4 m).
Habitat Wooded margins of lakes and streams.
Range Alaska and the Yukon east to Newfoundland and south to Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.
Discussion Except in fall, when this plant adds a vivid splash of color to northern forests, Moosewood Viburnum is often overlooked, being rather straggly in appearance. There are more than 100 species of viburnum in the world, 15 of which occur in North America, primarily in the northern latitudes. Many birds and mammals eat the tart berries of the viburnums.
