The image, above, shows the fruit of the guelder rose(Viburnum opulus), with a close-up of the fruit, left
and an image of the fruit and leaves, right..
| Common Name: Guelder Rose |
| Scientific Name: Viburnum opulus |
| Other Names: Snowball Tree, Cramp Bark, European cranberrybush, American cranberrybush, Crampbark |
| Family: Adoxaceae |
| Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, north and west Asia. |
Physical Characteristics
Rumex alpinus is a hardy deciduous shrub, growing to 5m (16 ft) by 5m (16 ft) in size. It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. The shrub flowers from June to July and seeds ripen from September to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by insects. The plant is self-fertile.
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| Edible Parts: Fruit, Bark |
 Edibility Rating: 3 
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 Known Hazards: Though the fruit of the Guelder Rose are not toxic, as such, consuming large quantities of the raw fruit can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. If cooked, these effects are removed. Indeed, the fruit only causes mild upsets if eaten in the raw form.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Guelder Rose along with all the Guelder Rose containing recipes presented on this site, with 0 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Guelder Rose as a major wild food ingredient.
Guelder Rose, Viburnum opulus (also known as the Snowball Tree and Cramp Bark) is a member of the Viburnum genus of flowering shrubs in the Adoxaceae (Elder and Viburnum) family of plants. The Guelder Rose is a species of deciduous shrub native to Europe and Asia. The name itself is derived from a popular cultivar the Snowball tree supposedly first originated in the Dutch province of Guelderland. This form being named for the dense clusters of white flowers it generates.
The leaves are opposite, three-lobed, 5–10 cm long and broad, with a rounded base and coarsely serrated margins; they are superficially similar to the leaves of some maples, most easily distinguished by their somewhat wrinkled surface with impressed leaf venation. In the autumn the leaves turn a vibrant russet colour. The hermaphrodite flowers are white, produced in corymbs 4-11 cm diameter at the top of the stems; each corymb comprises a ring of outer sterile flowers 1.5-2 cm diameter with conspicuous petals, surrounding a centre of small (5 mm), fertile flowers. These develop into dense clusters of large bright red fruit which are drupes some 7–10 mm diameter, containing a single seed.
It is commonly grown as an ornamental plant but can also be found in the wild, particularly on waste land near human occupation. Its fruit itself is astringent and rather bitter and whilst not toxic per se consuming large quantities can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, effects that are ameliorated by the cooking of the ripe fruit (the fruit should never be consumed unripe). In some places the fruit is known as the 'poor man's cranberry' and it used to be made into sauces and preserves. The dried wood can also be made into a tea which, in the past, was used in the treatment of asthma, cramps and other conditions such as colic or painful menstruation. Indeed, the bark contains the chemical compound 'scopoletin', a coumarin that has a sedative affect on the uterus and used to be used for menstrual cramps, spasms after childbirth and threatened miscarriage. Interestingly the wood can be made into skewers which are very useful for barbecues.
Note that the crushed raw fruit has a rather unpleasant odour, but this is removed upon cooking. The fruit can be used as a substitute for cranberries and also works as an alternative base for sauces such as pontac sauce.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Guelder Rose as a major wild food ingredient.
Guelder Rose, Viburnum opulus (also known as the Snowball Tree and Cramp Bark) is a member of the Viburnum genus of flowering shrubs in the Adoxaceae (Elder and Viburnum) family of plants. The Guelder Rose is a species of deciduous shrub native to Europe and Asia. The name itself is derived from a popular cultivar the Snowball tree supposedly first originated in the Dutch province of Guelderland. This form being named for the dense clusters of white flowers it generates.
The leaves are opposite, three-lobed, 5–10 cm long and broad, with a rounded base and coarsely serrated margins; they are superficially similar to the leaves of some maples, most easily distinguished by their somewhat wrinkled surface with impressed leaf venation. In the autumn the leaves turn a vibrant russet colour. The hermaphrodite flowers are white, produced in corymbs 4-11 cm diameter at the top of the stems; each corymb comprises a ring of outer sterile flowers 1.5-2 cm diameter with conspicuous petals, surrounding a centre of small (5 mm), fertile flowers. These develop into dense clusters of large bright red fruit which are drupes some 7–10 mm diameter, containing a single seed.
It is commonly grown as an ornamental plant but can also be found in the wild, particularly on waste land near human occupation. Its fruit itself is astringent and rather bitter and whilst not toxic per se consuming large quantities can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, effects that are ameliorated by the cooking of the ripe fruit (the fruit should never be consumed unripe). In some places the fruit is known as the 'poor man's cranberry' and it used to be made into sauces and preserves. The dried wood can also be made into a tea which, in the past, was used in the treatment of asthma, cramps and other conditions such as colic or painful menstruation. Indeed, the bark contains the chemical compound 'scopoletin', a coumarin that has a sedative affect on the uterus and used to be used for menstrual cramps, spasms after childbirth and threatened miscarriage. Interestingly the wood can be made into skewers which are very useful for barbecues.
Note that the crushed raw fruit has a rather unpleasant odour, but this is removed upon cooking. The fruit can be used as a substitute for cranberries and also works as an alternative base for sauces such as pontac sauce.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Guelder Rose recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 0 recipes in total:
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Page 1 of 1