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Viburnum Leaf Beetle
Guide to identifying viburnums

Which viburnum is it?



Doublefile Viburnum
Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum

Viburnum leaf
beetle home

Guide to identifying Viburnums

  • Common names


  • Is it a viburnum?


  • Which viburnum?


  • Express key


  • ID tutorial


    • Guide to viburnums by David Swaciak.

    Leaf drawings by
    Marcia Eames-Sheavly.

    Logo images by Paul Weston & Craig Cramer

    Leaves:

    • Deciduous
    • 2 to 5 inches long, 1 to 2.5 inches wide
    • Broad egg-shaped
    • Teeth widely spaced
    • Stellate pubescence (star-like hairs) on underside mostly along veins
    • Petiole .5 to .6 inches long
    Flowers:
    • White forming a large flat-topped cluster up to 4 inches in diameter
    • Composed of large, showy, outer flowers and small, unshowy inner flowers
    • Blooms in May
    Fruit:
    • Red maturing to black, matures August
    Branches:
    • Usually 2-ranked (in a single flat plane, fishbone-like)
    More information:

    Similar Species and distinguishing characteristics:

    Viburnum carlesii
    Leaves 1 to 4 inches long, .75 to 2.5 inches wide. Flowers like half a golfball.
    Viburnum lantana
    Leaves 2 to 5 inches long, 1.5 to 4 inches wide. Flowers white in 3- to 5-inch flat-topped clusters.
    Viburnum macrocephalum
    Leaves 2 to 4 inches long, 1.5 to 2.5 inches wide. No fruit

    Back to beginning Which viburnum is it?


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    Website design: Craig Cramer cdc25@cornell.edu

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