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- Viburnum
- Viburnum lantanoides
Viburnum lantanoides — hobblebush
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Facts
Hobblebush inhabits the understory of cool forests. It produces flat-topped clusters of white flowers in two forms: 1) an outer ring of 3/4-inch wide, showy white flowers that are sterile, but may attract pollinators; and 2) an inner cluster of small greenish, fertile flowers. This shrub is a host plant for the caterpillars of the spring azure butterfly (Celastrina ladon).
Habitat
Forests
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Growth form
- the plant is a shrub (i.e., a woody plant with several stems growing from the base)
- Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaves per node
- there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
- armature on plant
- the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
- Leaf blade length
- 100–180 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 100–200 mm
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is fleshy
- Bark texture
-
- the bark of an adult plant is ridged or plated
- the bark of an adult plant is thin and smooth
- Twig winter color
-
- brown
- gray
- green
- purple
- Bud scale number
- there are no scales on the winter buds
-
Buds or leaf scars
- Bud position relative to scar
- the winter bud has a leaf scar just below it
- Bud scale number
- there are no scales on the winter buds
- Bud scar shape (Fraxinus)
- NA
- Bundle scar number
- 3
- Collateral buds
- there are no collateral buds on the sides of the branches
- Leaf scar arrangement
- there are two leaf scars per node on the stem or twig
- Pseudoterminal bud
- there are no pseudoterminal buds on the tips of the branches
- Superposed buds
- there are no superposed buds on the branch
- Terminal bud
- the branch has a terminal bud on it
- Winter bud distribution
-
- the winter buds are clustered near the tip of the twig
- the winter buds are distributed fairly evenly along the twig
- Winter bud scale hairs
- NA
- Winter bud scales
- the winter bud is naked (not covered with scales)
- Winter bud shape
- the winter buds are a shape other than the choices given
- Winter bud stalks
- the winter buds have short stalks
-
Flowers
- Anther color
- the anthers show no hint of a pink, reddish or purplish tint
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Enlarged sterile flowers
- some of the flowers on the plant are enlarged and sterile
- Flower petal color
- white
- Flower symmetry
-
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Hairs on ovary (Amelanchier)
- NA
- Hypanthium present
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence position
- the inflorescences grow on the twigs
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a dichasial cyme (an axis with a terminal flower, below it a pair of branches, each with a terminal flower, these branches may in turn each have a pair of branches and so on)
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is below the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are fused to form a tube, cup, or bell shape
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble leaves in color and texture
- Sepal cilia (Ilex)
- NA
- Sepal tip glands
- there are no glands at the tips of the sepal lobes
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are fused to each other (not other flower parts), at least near their bases
- Stamen number
- 5
- Stamen position relative to petals
- the stamens are lined up with the sepals (antesepalous)
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are not fused to one another
-
Fruits or seeds
- Berry color
-
- NA
- black
- red
- Fruit tissue origin
- there are no flower parts that form part of the fruit
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is fleshy
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a drupe (fleshy, with a firm inner ovary wall that encloses a single seed)
- Nut with spines (Fagaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- there are no wings on the fruit
-
Glands or sap
- Sap color
- the sap is clear and watery
- Stalked glands on fruit (Rosa)
- NA
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is a shrub (i.e., a woody plant with several stems growing from the base)
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf has hairs on it
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf blade base shape
- The base of the leaf blade is cordate (heart-shaped, with rounded lobes)
- Leaf blade base symmetry
- the leaf blade base is symmetrical
- Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade edges (Acer)
- NA
- Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- at least some of the hairs on the leaf blade are branched
- at least some of the hairs on the leaf blade are reddish-brown, and they do not have glands
- Leaf blade length
- 100–180 mm
- Leaf blade scales
- there are no scales on the leaf blades
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is herbaceous (has a leafy texture)
- Leaf blade translucent dots
- there are no translucent dots on the leaf blade
- Leaf blade vein pattern
- the main veins of the leaf blade are pinnate (the secondary veins branch off at intervals from the main central vein) and non-arcuate (not arched towards the leaf tip)
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base toward the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 100–200 mm
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the plant is broad-leaved (with broadly flattened leaf blades)
- Leaf lobe tips (Quercus)
- NA
- Leaf midrib glands
- the midrib of the leaf blade lacks glands on the upper surface
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
- Leaf stalk nectaries
- there are no nectaries on the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk shape
- the leaf stalk is not flattened
- Leaf teeth
-
- the leaf blade margin has teeth, which themselves have smaller teeth on them
- the leaf blade margin is serrate (with forward-pointing) or dentate (with outward-pointing) with medium-sized to coarse teeth
- the leaf blade margin is serrulate (with forward-pointing) or denticulate (with outward-pointing) with tiny teeth
- Leaf teeth hairs (Carya)
- NA
- Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaves per node
- there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant, or they fall off as the leaf expands
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- forests
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor, or it has an unpleasant or repellant odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Aerial roots
- the plant has no aerial roots
- Bark texture
-
- the bark of an adult plant is ridged or plated
- the bark of an adult plant is thin and smooth
- Branch brittleness (willows only)
- NA
- Branch cross-section
- the branch is circular in cross-section, or it has five or more sides, so that there are no sharp angles
- First-year cane (Rubus)
- NA
- Pith shape
- the outline of the pith in a twig is roughly round
- Pith type
- the pith inside the twig is solid, completely filled with spongy tissue
- Short shoots
- there are no peg- or knob-like shoots present
- Twig bloom
- there is no bloom on the twig
- Twig hairs
- the twigs have hairs, but the hairs do not have glands
- Twig papillae (Vaccinium species only)
- NA
- Twig scales
- there are no scales on the twig surface
- Twig winter color
-
- brown
- gray
- green
- purple
- Wings on branch
- the branch does not have wings on it
- armature on plant
- the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Massachusetts
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), concern (code: C)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
6. Viburnum lantanoides Michx. N
hobblebush. Viburnum alnifolium Marsh.; V. grandifolium Ait. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Temperate to boreal, mesic to wet-mesic forests.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Viburnum lantana:
- marginal flowers enlarged and leaf pubescence gray (vs. V. lantanoides, with marginal flowers of inflorescence enlarged and leaf pubescence red-brown to yellow-brown).
Synonyms
- Viburnum alnifolium Marsh.
- Viburnum grandifolium Ait.