southern wild raisin

Viburnum nudum is a shrub with opposite, simple leaves, on slender stems. The flowers are white, borne in late spring.

It is native to North America from southern Ontario and Quebec to Newfoundland, south to Florida, and west to Wisconsin. It has been observed in habitats such as floodplains, hardwood stands, mesic woodlands, and in pine flatwoods.

The fruit is eaten by wildlife, and deer browse the foliage. It is a larval host to spring azures and hummingbird clearwing moths.

The Abenaki use the fruit and the grains of var. cassinoides for food. The Algonquin people eat the berries of var. cassinoides.

The Cherokee have several medicinal uses for Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides. They take an infusion of it to prevent recurrent spasms, use the root bark as a diaphoretic and a tonic, and take a compound infusion of it for fever, smallpox and ague. They also use an infusion of the bark as a wash for a sore tongue.

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