Nature Table: GUELDER ROSE

GUELDER ROSE

(Viburnum opulus)

This consistently provides the most spectacular autumn colour. The leaves, which look a bit like small maple leaves, turn yellow, red and purple and offset bunches of shiny, bright red berries. In June and July the berries are preceded by clumps of creamy, fragrant flowers that look like snowballs. It’s not a rose but a member of the viburnum family. The other part of the name comes from Guelderland, a Dutch province where a cultivated variety originated. It is a spreading shrub that can grow to 4 metres, though is frequently smaller, and is widespread though not particularly common in hedgerows and beneficial to wildlife. It grows best in damp areas with plenty of lime in the soil and tolerates partial shade.