Viburnum edule
squashberry

Alaska Wildflowers | White

Viburnum edule
squashberry

Common Names

squashberry
highbush cranberry
mooseberry
viorne comestible
low bush cranberry
moosomin
pimbina
pimina
moosewood viburnum
squashberry viburnum
Lower Tanana Dene: troneɬttha
Tanacross Dene: tsâanttheetl

Synonyms

Viburnum opulusvar. edule
Viburnum pauciflorum

Subspecies

none

Genus: Viburnum
Family: Viburnaceae (Adoxaceae still commonly used)
Order: Dipsacales
taxonomic heirarchy

Etymology

The genus name Viburnum is derived from the Latin word ‘viburnum,’ which was used in classical times to refer to a type of shrub, possibly the wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana). The name ‘Viburnum’ has been used since ancient times, and its exact origin is unclear. It has been consistently applied to the group of shrubs within the honeysuckle family, Viburnaceae, though numerous sources still classify it under Adoxaceae, the Moschatel family. The species epithet “edule” comes from the Latin word “edulis,” meaning “edible,” indicating the edible nature of the berries produced by this plant.

The name “squashberry” likely refers to the berry’s use in making preserves and sauces, where the berries are often squashed during preparation. “Squash” might also relate to the plant’s habitat in moist, waterlogged areas.

Despite its name, “highbush cranberry” is not a true cranberry (genus Vaccinium). This name likely comes from the plant’s tall-growing form and the superficial resemblance of its red berries to those of true cranberries. The term “highbush” helps distinguish it from low-growing cranberry species.

Duration – Growth Habit

Perennial – shrub

Identification and Information

Vegetative Morphology:

Viburnum edule, commonly known as squashberry or highbush cranberry, is a white-flowering, berry-producing shrub in the moschatel family. It spreads from rhizomes and by layering. The plant grows 0.5-3.5 meters tall, with glabrous branches and smooth, reddish-grey bark. The leaves are stalked, oppositely arranged, and typically 4-7 cm long. They can be either 3-lobed or unlobed. The leaf blades are palmately veined, toothed, dark green (turning red in autumn), and often hairy on the underside.

Reproductive Morphology:

The inflorescence is a flat or rounded cluster of 20-40 flowers in compound corymbose cymes on short axillary stalks with a pair of leaves. The flowers have a 4-7 mm wide corolla with five whitish petals fused at the base into tubes. The calyx (sepals) are also 5-lobed but much smaller at about 1 mm across. The flowers are perfect (bisexual), with five inconspicuous stamens, with short, 1 mm long filaments and a three-lobed stigma on a short style. The fruits are clusters of 1 cm in diameter, round, red or orange, berry-like drupes, each containing a single large, flat stone (seed). This stone is the hard inner part of the drupe that houses the seed.

Uses

For information only (typically historical) – I take no responsibility for adverse effects from the use of any plant.

Viburnum edule, known as squashberry or highbush cranberry, has numerous traditional uses documented by various sources. According to the Native American Ethnobotany Database (NAEB), the fruits and other parts of the plant have been utilized for both medicinal and culinary purposes.

The tart but flavorful fruits are often collected after the first frost to be made into preserves, jelly, cranberry sauce, and tea. Due to the large seed in each berry, the berries are typically juiced before use rather than cooked or eaten plain.

The Eco Atlas of Denali’s Flora also highlights that the berries are commonly turned into beverages and preserves. Additionally, the stem bark of Viburnum edule has been used by the Alutiiq and Athabascan peoples to make a tea for treating various ailments such as stomach troubles, colds, flu, constipation, congestion, skin infections, and throat irritation resulting from laryngitis. The bark tea and berry material have been consumed to combat colds and flu​. According to Alaska’s Wild Plants, the Tlingit boiled the bark to make lotion for skin diseases, and the Alutiiq used a poultice from the inner bark to treat infected wounds.

Distribution and Habitat

Map data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), NatureServe Explorer, and Kew

Viburnum edule is widespread across northern North America, including Alaska and Canada, except for Prince Edward Island and most of the northern United States. Its range extends slightly into eastern Siberia.

It has a diverse habitat from streambanks, lakeshores, swamps, muskeg, and forests.

Classification

The family Viburnaceae, previously included in Caprifoliaceae, consists of about five genera and 175-210 species, primarily shrubs, small trees, and herbs. Molecular studies have confirmed the placement of Sambucus and Viburnum in this family (Bramley et al., 2023). The recognition of Viburnaceae over Adoxaceae follows the failure of a ‘super-conservation’ proposal, reaffirming the use of Viburnaceae in some modern systems (Wilson, 2016).

Historically, Viburnum edule was placed in the Caprifoliaceae family (honeysuckle), and numerous sources still use this classification today. However, with advancements in molecular phylogenetic studies, it became evident that Viburnum and Sambucus (elderberries) are more closely related to each other and distinct from the rest of the Caprifoliaceae family. This led to their reclassification into the Adoxaceae family. The APG (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group) system, widely accepted today, supports this classification.

Recent molecular phylogenetic studies and proposals have increasingly supported recognizing Viburnaceae as a distinct family, which includes Viburnum and Sambucus. This classification is now accepted by some modern systems, including VASCAN and Kew, which list Viburnaceae as the correct family over Adoxaceae (Bramley et al., 2023; Wilson, 2016).

References and Further Reading

Guidebook

Pratt, V. E. (1989). Field Guide to Alaskan Wildflowers: Commonly Seen Along Highways and Byways (p. 72). Alaskakrafts, inc.

Johnson, D., Kershaw, L., & MacKinnon, A. (2020). Plants of the Western Forest: Alaska to Minnesota Boreal and Aspen Parkland (3rd ed., p. 64). Partners Publishing. ISBN 978-1772130591.

Classification and Taxonomy

VASCAN. (n.d.). Viburnum edule. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/name/Viburnum%20edule

ITIS Report. (n.d.). Viburnum edule. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=35261#null

USDA Plants Profile. (n.d.). Viburnum edule. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=VIED

Adoxaceae. (2024, April 8). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoxaceae

North Carolina Botanical Garden. (n.d.). Viburnaceae. Flora of the Southeastern United States. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu/main.php?pg=show-taxon.php&exactmatch=yes&plantname=Viburnaceae

Bramley, G., Trias-Blasi, A., & Wilford, R. (2023). The Kew Temperate Plant Families Identification Handbook. Kew Publishing Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid.org:names:77162522-1/general-information

Uses

Native American Ethnobotany Database. (n.d.). Viburnum edule Uses. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from http://naeb.brit.org/uses/species/4130/

Schofield, J. 2020. Alaska’s Wild Plants: A Guide to Alaska’s Edible Harvest (Revised Edition) (pp. 96-97). Alaska Northwest Books.

Map and Distribution

GBIF. (n.d.). Viburnum edule. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://www.gbif.org/species/2888613

NatureServe Explorer. (n.d.). Viburnum edule. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.157924/Viburnum_edule

Plants of the World Online. (n.d.). Viburnum edule. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1147396-2

Description and Information

E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. (n.d.). Viburnum edule. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Viburnum%20edule&redblue=Both&lifeform=4

Hultén, E. (1968). Flora of Alaska and Neighboring Territories: A Manual of the Vascular Plants (1st ed.) (pg. 442). Stanford University Press.

Ecological Atlas of Denali’s Flora. (n.d.). Viburnum edule. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://ecologicalatlas.uaf.edu/index.php/browse-plant-species/atlas-page/?nps_id=2109

Flora of the Dempster Country. (n.d.). Viburnum edule. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://www.flora.dempstercountry.org/0.Site.Folder/Species.Program/Species.php?species_id=Vibur.edu