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Black Haw Viburnum prunifolium 



The black haw is more frequently a shrub than a real 

 tree, although occasional specimens attain a height of 30 

 feet. It grows from Connecticut to Georgia and westward, 

 and is very common along the lower Hudson, more rare 

 northward. The stiff, spreading branches are usually armed 

 with numerous prickle-like branchlets. The leaf-blades are 

 smooth, from 1^ to 4 inches long, and essentially oval in 

 outline. They are somewhat sharp-pointed at both ends and 

 the margins are finely toothed. They are not taper-pointed 

 at the tip and this serves as the chief distinction between it 

 and the nannyberry. As in that species the flowers are 

 arranged in an essentially stalkless flower-cluster. The 

 petals are white and united below. The fruit is much the 

 same as that of the nannyberry and is edible, usually being 

 most prized after it has been frozen. 



The plant is greatly in demand for decorative effects, and 

 the bark of the roots and trunk is astringent. The wood is 

 brittle and of little economic importance. 



