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Cumbria, United Kingdom Gb

This is a shrub in the garden of a house that we have bought in Cumbria. Currently it is about 4-5 feet high. Please can anyone identify it and give me an idea of height and spread. I presume that the berries are not edible - a worry with young children?



P1010344

Answers

 

It looks a bit like a red currant,. Hopefully someone else will know but you could try 'google images'

20 Aug, 2012

 

Thanks for the comment. The berries seem to develop from green to yellow to orange to red. If red currant then presumably they are edible, but... are they?

20 Aug, 2012

 

I don't think its a currant bush as the berries don't grow in this way - more hanging in bunches. You must always tell children not to touch berries when they don't know what they are - as said before many times, there are a lot of toxic plants in the garden and you would end up with nothing if you were worried about them all.

20 Aug, 2012

 

Never seen Red/White or Pink Currant fruit like that - they kind of dangle in a row. The fruit above looks too different so I would not eat them until someone else ID's them!!!

20 Aug, 2012

 

I agree.......It was the leaf shape that loked currant like...if in doubt as I am treat it as inedible

20 Aug, 2012

 

The berry is hard, unlike red currant so I will not try it. I haven't seen any birds eating them either, which suggests to me that they are not edible. I have checked images on Google but haven't spotted anything similar

20 Aug, 2012

 

I reckon its Viburnum opulus... if it is (google for images) then the berries are edible in very small quantities raw (not very tasty, acidic) but should really be cooked before consumption, and can be used to make jams, if you don't mind jam which is redolent of cough syrup, that is!

20 Aug, 2012

 

After another image search I am wondering if it might be a viburnum or raisin bush?

20 Aug, 2012

 

Funny that I was wondering that just as you posted Bamboo - hence my almost simultaneous post.

20 Aug, 2012

 

Never heard it called raisin bush before though.

20 Aug, 2012

 

I too think it is a viburnum.

Possibly Viburnum opulus 'Xanthocarpum'

http://www.imageflora.com/image/viburnum-opulus-xanthocarpum1

20 Aug, 2012

 

My thanks to all who have read and commented and made suggestions. It does look like the viburnum opulus so I'll leave it there, although I don't think that I will bother trying the berries. At least it seems that they are not poisonous and awful enough tasting to keep the children away from them.

20 Aug, 2012

 

Was just about to comment that it looks very like our guelder rose, and after googling it, I find guelder rose is just another name for vibirnum opulus. You learn something new every day :-)

21 Aug, 2012

 

Viburnum opulus appears to be a plant of many names. It appears from Google that Americans call it the raisin bush and that it is also known as the European cranberry bush as well, it would appear, as guelder rose. As regards my comment earlier that I haven't seen any birds eating its berries, it appears from the web articles that they wait for the berries to turn red and slightly dried before eating them in late autumn and early winter. Americans also appear to eat the berries.

21 Aug, 2012

How do I say thanks?

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