Experience the natural beauty and benefits of Viburnum prunifolium fruits, also known as blackhaw, blackhaw viburnum, sweet haw, or stag bush. This deciduous shrub or small tree is native to southeastern North America and boasts creamy white flowers in 2-4" flat-topped clusters and 1/2" berries that are pinkish and rose before turning dark bluish-black. The fruit is not only delicious in preserves, but it also serves as early winter provender for birds. Blackhaw tolerates most soils, sun or shade, and can grow as a small round-headed tree or multistemmed shrub. Its bark is reddish-brown and rough on old stems, while the leaves are simple, oval, and turn a beautiful red in the fall. The plant has medicinal properties and has been used for centuries, mainly for gynecological conditions. Try the fruit raw or in a jam, but be aware that black haw contains salicin, a chemical relative of aspirin, and people allergic to that substance should avoid it. Pregnant women should also avoid black haw during the first two trimesters due to its potential teratogenic effect. Experience the natural beauty and potential health benefits of Viburnum prunifolium fruits today.
