Northern Illinois is in full fall, and this shrub/tree is still hanging onto its leaves. I've been unable to narrow it down to a tree or a shrub. The berry structure looks like dogwood, but I couldn't find anything that matched it in my fieldguide to trees book, so it may not even be a tree.





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Reminds me of Black Haw (Viburnum prunifolium)

My first thought was also Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium)

I think that is the closest match. I wasn't able to find anything other images online of black haw that had the large pine cone-y terminal buds like in my last picture. I saw some with the spurs, but not the buds and the regular buds didn't look anything like that. I still consider it solved, thank you guys! This one was really stumping me

Hmm, I didn't even pay attention to that photo. I wonder if rather than Viburnum, it might be something else in the same family, like Elderberry? One for comparison:

Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)
https://www.illinoiswildflower...

Whoa, hey, time out!

This plant clearly has simple leaves with opposite arrangement, so let's not go run off into Elderberry land (pinnate compound, opposite arrangement).

This is certainly a Viburnum, but it is NOT Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium).

"Trust the Force, Luke"...er, RookiePresent/Alex.

You were right to be skeptical of the Blackhaw Viburnum ID, as that species does not have the terminal bud that you have shown. While you will find Viburnum prunifolium around northern Illinois, you will also find many non-native ornamental viburnum species. The plant you are asking about is one of these.

All your images are such closeups, they don't show the plant's overall conformation, so I am hesitant to give you an absolute answer. Here are several species commonly grown in northern Illinois that it could be - with some persistent dried out blackish mature fruit, leaves not yet colored up, and that naked flower bud that you described as "large pine cone-y terminal buds".

Viburnum carlesii - Koreanspice Viburnum

Viburnum mongolicum - Mongolian Viburnum

Viburnum xcarlcephalum - Carlcephalum or Fragrant Viburnum

Viburnum xjuddii - Judd Viburnum

I most suspect this is a Viburnum carlesii, but I'd like more information. You haven't said where you found this plant (place); growing conditions; cohort of plants it is growing with; etc. More info = better replies with accurate IDs.

Let's see what else you've got...

The cone like terminal bud is next year's flower bud, but it's not the kind that is Blackhaw. It is a viburnum, and the bud is fairly common among leatherleaf types and the viburnum section with the good smelling flowers. A good portion of these are not hardy in Minnesota and I haven't actually seen many of them. I can't hazard a guess, but I have seen similar buds on V. carlesii, V. x juddii, V. lantana, V. rytidophyllum x V. bitchiuense. I think you will need to wait until it flowers for an ID.

LOL, The only Viburnum I'm familiar with are V.odoratissimum and V. obovatum that I see here in Florida. I should have thought to tag ViburnumValley/John but I'm so glad he found this thread!

Here's are our database entry for Koreanspice Viburnum (Viburnum carlesii)

ViburnumValley said:

I most suspect this is a Viburnum carlesii, but I'd like more information. You haven't said where you found this plant (place); growing conditions; cohort of plants it is growing with; etc. More info = better replies with accurate IDs.

Let's see what else you've got...

I have no further pictures of the plant, but I can say that it's from a large public park in Rockford, with this species planted en masse right next a lake. The other plants in the area are all planted by the park, so I don't know if they will be useful, but I saw typical park-planted specimens: several types of oak tree, red and silver maples, black locust, and eastern cottonwoods. My interest is in trees, and there were other non-trees among the plant in question that I am just not familiar with.

The imaged plant was among others right on the water's edge, sandy soil, which itself was in full/partial shade. I would guess the plant was about 8-11 feet tall, with the shape of a round bush, although it was hard to tell because it was among other plants in close proximity.


After looking through your suggestions, I think the best match is Viburnum x carlcephalum. It likes well drained moist soils, seems to be the right height, the right leaf dimensions, flower buds that look very similar:


I got that image from this page: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/pl...

I also think its fragrance would make it a good choice to be planted in a public park. I hope this information helps, I would be more than happy to go back to that park and get better pictures if need be.

that's probably a nannyberry! aka Viburnum lentago - they're much more insect resistant than non-native species, frequently found in parks, and tbh buds can be all over the map in how they look.

this should help you narrow it down tho: http:// www. hort.cornell.edu/vlb/key/W1.htm

Thanks, RookiePresent. for the site description. Mass plantings in public parks makes it easy to say that it is one of the species that Leftwood or I have mentioned. It's up to you whether you want to go back and get more photos, but I can't think of more fun things to do when I have time and the weather is nice.

It is NOT one of the native species like Blackhaw Viburnum or Nannyberry Viburnum. Those are both great plants, but share none of the characteristics that you've illustrated.

Here's some very good diagnostic pictures of Nannyberry Viburnum - Viburnum lentago.

https://www.wildflower.org/gal...