Specimen record
Northern Arrowwood
Viburnum dentatum
Description
A common native shrub of woodland edges and stream corridors, arrowwood produces flat-topped clusters of small white flowers in June followed by blue-black berries that are relished by birds. The name comes from its straight stems, which Native peoples used for arrow shafts. The coarsely toothed, opposite leaves with straight parallel veins are distinctive.
Identification tips
- 1Flat-topped clusters (cymes) of small white flowers in June
- 2Opposite, simple, coarsely toothed leaves with very straight, parallel veins
- 3Straight, slender stems — typically unbranched for much of their length
- 4Blue-black drupes in flat clusters in September–October
- 5Multi-stemmed shrub 1–3 m tall; reddish-purple autumn color
Specimen & preservation notes
Press a flowering branch showing the flat-topped cyme and opposite leaves. The straight parallel veining is a key character — arrange leaves to show this clearly. Collect a fruiting branch separately. Berries shrivel when dried but retain their dark color.
Habitats
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 |
Collection notes
Season check
Guide window is wider than observed records.
Flowering records: 39 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 317 observations within 25 km