Editing Viburnum lentago

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Viburnum lentago NRCS-006.jpg
|image2 = Viburnum lentago NRCS-005.jpg
|genus = Viburnum
|species = lentago
|authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
|range_map = Viburnum lentago range map 3.png
|range_map_caption = Natural range of ''Viburnum lentago''
}}

'''''Viburnum lentago''''', the '''nannyberry''', '''sheepberry''', or '''sweet viburnum''', is a species of ''[[Viburnum]]'' native to [[North America]].

==Description==

It is a large [[shrub]] or small [[tree]] growing upwards to {{cvt|30|ft|m|0|disp=flip}} tall with a trunk up to {{cvt|10|in|cm|0|disp=flip}} in diameter and a short trunk, round-topped head, pendulous, flexible branches. The bark is reddish- to grayish-brown, and broken into small scales. The twigs are pale green and covered with rusty down at first, later becoming dark reddish brown, sometimes [[glaucous]], smooth, tough, flexible, and produce an offensive odor when crushed or bruised. The winter [[bud]]s are light red, covered with pale scurfy down, protected by a pair of opposing scales. Flower-bearing buds are {{cvt|3/4|in|cm|0|disp=flip}} long, obovate, long pointed; other terminal buds are acute, {{cvt|1/3|to|1/2|in|mm|disp=flip}} long, while lateral buds are much smaller. The bud scales enlarge with the growing shoot and often become leaf-like.

Like all viburnums, the [[leaves]] are arranged in opposite pairs on the twigs; they are oval, {{cvt|2|-|4|in|cm|round=5|disp=flip}} long and {{cvt|3/4|-|2|in|cm|0|disp=flip}} broad, wedge-shaped, rounded or subcordate at base, with an acuminate apex and a finely serrated margin, and a winged [[petiole (botany)|petiole]]. They open from the bud involute, bronze green and shining, hairy and downy; when full grown are bright green and shining above, pale green and marked with tiny black dots beneath. In autumn they turn a deep red, or red and orange.

The [[flower]]s are small, {{cvt|5–6|mm|in|2}} in diameter, with five whitish petals, arranged in large round terminal [[Cyme (botany)|cymes]] {{cvt|5–12|cm|in|frac=4}} in diameter; flowering is in late spring. The [[Calyx (botany)|calyx]] is tubular, equally five-toothed, persistent; the [[Corolla (flower)|corolla]] is equally five-lobed, imbricate in the bud, cream-white, one-quarter of an inch across; lobes acute, and slightly erose. There are five stamens, inserted on the base of the corolla, alternate with its lobes, exserted; filaments slender; anthers bright yellow, oblong, introrse, versatile, two-celled; cells opening longitudinally. The pistil has a one-celled inferior ovary, the style thick, short, light green, and the stigma broad; there is one ovule in each cell.

The [[fruit]] is a small round blue-black [[drupe]], {{cvt|8–16|mm|in|2}} long on a reddish stem; it is thick-skinned, sweet, and rather juicy. The stone is oblong oval, flattened.

The roots are fibrous. The wood is ill-smelling, dark orange brown, heavy, hard, close-grained, with a specific gravity of 0.7303.

==Distribution and habitat==
Nannyberry is native to the northeastern and midwestern [[United States]], and to southern [[Canada]] from [[New Brunswick]] west to southeastern [[Saskatchewan]]. Isolated populations are found in the Dakotas, [[Wyoming]], [[Colorado]], and the [[Appalachian Mountains]] as far south as [[Kentucky]] and [[Virginia]].<ref name=grin>{{GRIN | access-date = 2017-12-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://esp.cr.usgs.gov/data/atlas/little/vibulent.pdf | title = Viburnum lentago Range Map | access-date = 2008-03-06 | publisher = [[United States Geological Survey]]}}</ref> It grows in wet soil along the borders of the forest, often found in fence corners and along roadsides.

==Ecology==
Mammals, game birds and songbirds consume the fruit during the winter.<ref>{{cite book|last=Little|first=Elbert L.|title=The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region|publisher=Knopf|location=New York|year=1980|isbn=0-394-50760-6|page=672}}</ref>

==Uses==
As suggested by the alternative name sweet viburnum, the fruit is (unlike that of many viburnums) widely palatable.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Elias|first1=Thomas S.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/244766414|title=Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods|last2=Dykeman|first2=Peter A.|publisher=[[Sterling Publishing|Sterling]]|year=2009|isbn=978-1-4027-6715-9|location=New York|pages=227|oclc=244766414|orig-year=1982}}</ref> The bark and leaves were also used by [[North American Indians|Native Americans]] in the preparation of [[herbal medicine]]s.

It is admired for its compact habit, its lustrous foliage which insects rarely disfigure, its beautiful and abundant flowers, its handsome edible fruit and its brilliant autumnal color. It readily adapts itself to cultivation, and is one of the best of the small trees of eastern America for the decoration of parks and gardens in all regions of extreme winter cold. It is easily raised from seeds which, like those of the other American species, do not germinate until the second year after they are planted.<ref name=Keeler>{{cite book | last =Keeler | first =Harriet L. | title =Our Native Trees and How to Identify Them | publisher =Charles Scribner's Sons | year =1900 | location =New York | pages =181–182 }}</ref>

It has been [[Hybrid (biology)|hybridized]] with ''[[Viburnum prunifolium]]'' in gardens to give the hybrid ''[[Viburnum × jackii]]''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{cite book | author=Blanchan, Neltje | title=[[Wild Flowers: An Aid to Knowledge of our Wild Flowers and their Insect Visitors]] | year=1916 | publisher=[[Project Gutenberg]] Literary Archive Foundation | author-link=Neltje Blanchan}}
* {{PFAF}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q3321544}}

[[Category:Viburnum|lentago]]
[[Category:Flora of Eastern Canada]]
[[Category:Flora of the Northeastern United States]]
[[Category:Flora of the North-Central United States]]
[[Category:Plants used in traditional Native American medicine]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Flora without expected TNC conservation status]]
[[Category:Berries]]