Viburnum lantana, the wayfarer or wayfaring tree, is a species of Viburnum, native to central, southern and western Europe (north to Yorkshire in England), northwest Africa, and southwestern Asia. The vigorous deciduous European treelike shrub is common along waysides. Description It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to tall. The leaves are opposite, simple oval to lanceolate, Long and broad, with a finely serrated margin; they are densely downy on the underside, less so on the upper surface. The hermaphrodite flowers are small, around , and creamy-white, produced in dense cymes width at the top of the stems; they are produced in early summer, and pollinated by insects. The fruit is an oblong drupe long, green at first, turning red, then finally black at full maturity, and contains a single seed. The seeds are dispersed when birds eat the fruit, then deposit the seeds in another location in their droppings. An older name for the plant is hoarwithy. "Hoar" means grey-haired and refers to the hairs under the leaves, and "withy" means a pliant stem. Cultivation and uses It is commonly grown as an ornamental plant for its flowers and berries, growing best on alkaline soils. A number of cultivars have been selected, including 'Aureum', with yellow leaves in spring. The fruit is mildly toxic, and may cause vomiting or diarrhea if consumed in large quantities. References External links lantana Flora of Algeria Flora of Armenia Flora of Azerbaijan Flora of France Flora of Georgia (country) Flora of Germany Flora of Greece Flora of Iran Flora of Italy Flora of Morocco Flora of Poland Flora of Romania Flora of Russia Flora of Spain Flora of Turkey Flora of Ukraine Flora of the United Kingdom Garden plants Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus