![]() ![]() Scientific Name: Sorbus americana..With the addition of plenty of sugar, the berries are usually made into jelly. The berries are enjoyed by birds and wildlife, though too acidic for humans when fresh off the bush or tree. It may be found in cool climates as a shade tree, although it is intolerant of urban pollution. Although an understory tree, it prefers full sun and tolerates partial shade. Native to the Northeast, from Newfoundland to as far south as Georgia, the American mountain ash features an open, rounded canopy. Sweeter than true cranberries ( Vaccinium macrocarpon, zones 3 to 7).īruce Marlin, CC SA-2.5, via Wikimedia Commons American Mountain Ash Fruits: Bright red berries (drupes) in clusters, less than 1-inch diameter, flattened, one seed. Flowers: 2 1/2 to 4 inches wide, white flat-topped clusters of sterile flowers outside and tiny flowers with yellow anthers inside flowers bloom late spring to summer. Leaves: 3 to 6 inches long, dark green above and hairy veins below, three-lobed, maple-like, coarsely serrated edges yellow-red to reddish-purple fall color. Bark: New stems, thin, smooth green to reddish, mature to scaly dark brown or dark gray. Soil: All moist to wet, well-draining soil types. ![]() Common Names: American cranberry viburnum, American viburnum, cranberry, highbush cranberry. Scientific Name: Viburnum opulus var.The European berries are bitter and not considered edible by humans. It should be bulging outward or columnar if the shrub is the native species. To distinguish between the native shrub and hybrids of the American and European ( Viburnum opulus, zones 2 to 8) cranberry bush varieties, look at the top of the leaf stalk where it connects to the base of the leaf. It may be found in the wild or used as an ornamental shrub, foundation planting or hedge. The American cranberry bush is an upright shrub native to the northern states and Canada. Kaz Andrew, CC SA-20, via Wikimedia Commons American Cranberry Bush Until it’s determined that the berries are edible by humans, don’t taste them and in some cases, even if edible, the seeds may not be safe to ingest. Berry sizes may be tiny or small, with many seeds or one large seed. They may range in color from pale reddish-pink to orange-red to crimson to deep red or burgundy. The red fruits on the tree may actually be berries, drupes or pomes. Also indicate if the flowers grow singly or in clusters, amid the foliage or on the branch tips. Smell the flower and write down the scent, if any. Note the color, number of petals and other parts of the flower. Place a ruler next to a bud and then a fully-opened blossom and take a picture. The leaves may drop from the tree or stay green year round. Leaf colors may change from a bright chartreuse or red in spring to deep green or bronze-red in summer to brilliant yellows, oranges or reds in fall. It can also have smooth or serrated edges or be rounded, oblong or compound, simple or with several leaflets. A leaf may be tiny, medium-sized, large or huge, and thin or wide. Leaves vary wildly in color, size and shape. Some trees have green bark when young that matures to a darker shade of green or other color as the tree ages. Texture, thickness, color, thorns and/or peeling bark are helpful indicators, though some cultivars may not have the thorns sported by the species plants.īark colors range from off-white to green to gray to brown and reddish browns to purple, depending on the species and cultivar. Take out the tape measure and measure the height and width of mature plants, as the size may help determine not just the species, but also the cultivar. Alternatively, if the plant is equally tall and wide, measure the width to find the height. Large trees and shrubs may need creative solutions to find an approximate measure, such as comparing the height to the house. Does it have one trunk, multiple woody stems or require regular removal of root suckers to prevent it from spreading through the garden? A single trunk may indicate a tree, while multiple stems or root suckers may indicate that it is a large shrub that naturally produces multiple stems to make a thicket. Is the soil dry, average, moist or wet?.The first step in identifying a tree with red berries is by documenting the environmental factors where it is growing. Also take pictures of the tree and its various identifying features, such as when the flowers bud out or leaves have fallen, which will help identify it when comparing it to other similar plant descriptions. ![]()
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