Withe-rod

What it looks like

A native deciduous shrub usually 5 to 12 feet tall (NC State), with opposite, glossy, dark green leaves 3 to 5 inches long whose edges are smooth, wavy or have rounded teeth (NC State; Virginia Tech). Flat-topped clusters of small, creamy white flowers in spring (Virginia Tech) are followed by clusters of oval drupes that turn from pale green to pink, then blue and purplish-black, with all the colors in one cluster at the same time (NC State; Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia). Each fruit holds one hard, flattened stone (Nature’s Restaurant). Eat The Weeds describes the fruit as about 1/4 inch long, deep blue and sweet; Virginia Tech gives 1/2 inch. NC State calls the fruit acidic but edible, and Practical Self Reliance says northern wild raisin fruit tastes much like raisins. Nature’s Restaurant says the northern form is sweet and raisin- to prune-like, but has heard reports of the southern form ranging from sweet to bitter or barely edible because it is so acidic. Botanists disagree on whether the northern form (Viburnum cassinoides) is a separate species (Smithsonian checklist; Nature’s Restaurant). Eat The Weeds says the Abenaki and Algonquin peoples ate the fruit.

Safety

No toxicity is reported for the fruit in the sources checked; NC State and Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia call the ripe drupes acidic but edible. Eat only ripe fruit, which is dark blue to blue-black (Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center); one cluster holds pink, blue and purplish-black fruit at the same time (NC State). Deadly lookalike: the privets (Chinese, border, Japanese, glossy and garden privet), which the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center names as possible lookalikes of blackhaw viburnums; Eat The Weeds names Japanese privet as similar-looking to withe-rod. NC State lists privet fruits as poisonous, causing abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and its Japanese privet page lists death, rarely, among the symptoms. Privet leaves are smooth-edged. Chinese, border, garden and European privet leaves are 1 to 2 1/3 inches long (Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas), while withe-rod’s are 3 to 5 inches long (Virginia Tech). Japanese and glossy privet leaves are as long as withe-rod’s, but those privets are evergreen, while withe-rod is deciduous (NC State), and Eat The Weeds says withe-rod’s winged leaf stalk separates it from Japanese privet. The name possumhaw also belongs to a deciduous holly, possumhaw holly, whose orange-red berries NC State lists as poisonous (vomiting and diarrhea); the holly has alternate leaves, while withe-rod’s are opposite (Eat The Weeds; NC State). Poison sumac grows in the same wet places, and Nature’s Restaurant warns that its leaflets look like withe-rod leaves; poison sumac has alternate, compound leaves with 7-13 smooth-edged leaflets on red stalks and dull yellowish-white fruit, and every part causes skin redness, itching, blistering and swelling (NC State). Blackhaw, nannyberry, rusty blackhaw and hobblebush look similar (Virginia Tech; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center; Maryland Natural Heritage Program), and NC State lists their fruit as edible. Walter viburnum, which Eat The Weeds also names, is a Southern shrub.

Lookalikes

• Privets (Chinese, border, Japanese, glossy and garden privet) Ligustrum (several species: L. sinense, L. obtusifolium, L. japonicum, L. lucidum, L. ovalifolium) deadly

  Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center names the privets as possible lookalikes of the blackhaw viburnums, and Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas lists viburnums among the privets' look-alikes. NC State lists privet fruits as poisonous, rating Chinese privet low and Japanese, common and glossy privet medium in severity; its Japanese privet page lists death, rarely, among the symptoms, and its Chinese, common and glossy privet pages list abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Chinese, border, garden and European privet are deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs with opposite, simple, smooth-edged, short-stalked leaves 1 to 2 1/3 inches long and small black to blue-black drupes that ripen in late summer and fall (Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas). Japanese and glossy privet are evergreen, with opposite, smooth-edged, leathery leaves 2 to 6 inches long and blue-black fruit in fall (NC State). Eat The Weeds names wax-leaf ligustrum (Japanese privet) as similar-looking and says possumhaw’s winged leaf stalk separates it. Withe-rod leaves can also be smooth-edged and are 3 to 5 inches long (Virginia Tech): longer than Chinese, border, garden and European privet leaves, but as long as Japanese and glossy privet leaves; those two are evergreen, while withe-rod is deciduous (NC State).

  • Identification of native blackhaw or non-native ligustrum in Austin (Ask Mr. Smarty Plants, expert answer) Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
  • Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, Field Guide (Swearingen & Fulton, 2022; successor to the NPS/USFWS 5th ed., 2017) Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council / Passiflora Press (hosted by Bugwood/Mid-Atlantic Invaders Tool)
  • Ligustrum japonicum (Japanese Privet, Privet, Wax-leaf Privet) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
  • Ligustrum sinense (Chinese Privet) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
  • Ligustrum vulgare (Common Privet) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
  • Ligustrum lucidum (Glossy Privet) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
  • Valuable Viburnums (Green Deane) Eat The Weeds
  • possumhaw viburnum, Viburnum nudum (Dendrology fact sheet) Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
  • Viburnum nudum (Possumhaw Viburnum, Smooth Witherod, Smooth Witherod Viburnum, Southern Wild Raisin, Wild Raisin) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

• Possumhaw holly Ilex decidua toxic

  Does not resemble the ripe fruit, but shares the common name possumhaw. Eat The Weeds names it as a look-alike and notes its alternate leaves; withe-rod’s leaves are opposite. NC State lists possumhaw holly’s orange-red berries as poisonous (low severity: vomiting, diarrhea or other illness); they ripen in September and stay on through the winter.

  • Valuable Viburnums (Green Deane) Eat The Weeds
  • Ilex decidua (Possumhaw holly) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
  • Viburnum nudum (Possumhaw Viburnum, Smooth Witherod, Smooth Witherod Viburnum, Southern Wild Raisin, Wild Raisin) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

• Poison sumac Toxicodendron vernix irritant

  Does not resemble the ripe fruit. Nature’s Restaurant, a foraging site, warns that poison sumac grows in the same wet places and that its leaflets look like withe-rod’s leaves. Poison sumac’s leaves are alternate and compound, with 7-13 smooth-edged leaflets on red stalks, and its fruits ripen dull yellowish-white (NC State); withe-rod has simple, opposite leaves and blue-black ripe fruit. NC State says all parts of poison sumac cause skin redness, itching, blistering and swelling, and that the fruit is toxic to humans.

  • Viburnum (possumhaw and northern wild raisin) Nature’s Restaurant Online
  • Toxicodendron vernix (Poison Sumac) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
  • Viburnum nudum (Possumhaw Viburnum, Smooth Witherod, Smooth Witherod Viburnum, Southern Wild Raisin, Wild Raisin) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

• Blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium harmless (may be edible)

  Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center names blackhaw as one of several similar viburnums with edible fruit, and Virginia Tech lists it as a look-alike. Blackhaw is more tree-like, up to 20 feet tall, with finely toothed, oval leaves and many short twiggy branches at right angles to the stem (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center). NC State says blackhaw fruit can be eaten raw or used in jams and preserves.

  • Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides (Witherod viburnum) Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
  • possumhaw viburnum, Viburnum nudum (Dendrology fact sheet) Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
  • Viburnum prunifolium (Blackhaw) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

• Nannyberry Viburnum lentago harmless (may be edible)

  Maryland’s Natural Heritage Program says reports of nannyberry from Maryland counties other than Garrett are often withe-rod, and Virginia Tech lists it as a look-alike. Nannyberry is a shrub or tree up to 30 feet tall with long, tapering leaf tips (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center); Practical Self Reliance says northern wild raisin fruit is much smaller and ripens much sooner. NC State says nannyberry fruit may be eaten off the bush when ripe.

  • Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Plants of Maryland, March 2026 (Expanded) Maryland DNR Wildlife and Heritage Service, Natural Heritage Program
  • possumhaw viburnum, Viburnum nudum (Dendrology fact sheet) Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
  • Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides (Witherod viburnum) Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
  • Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) (Ashley Adamant) Practical Self Reliance
  • Viburnum lentago (Nannyberry) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

• Rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum harmless (may be edible)

  Virginia Tech lists rusty blackhaw as a look-alike, and Eat The Weeds says to look for the dots on the underside of possumhaw leaves to tell the two apart. Rusty blackhaw has rusty brown hairs on the undersides of its leaves and on its stems, and its fruit is sweet but nearly all seed (NC State).

  • possumhaw viburnum, Viburnum nudum (Dendrology fact sheet) Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
  • Valuable Viburnums (Green Deane) Eat The Weeds
  • Viburnum rufidulum (Rusty Blackhaw) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

• Hobblebush Viburnum lantanoides harmless (may be edible)

  Virginia Tech lists hobblebush as a look-alike. Hobblebush has large, slightly heart-shaped, toothed leaves 4-8 inches long and 1/3-inch red drupes that mature to purple; NC State says the fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and that hobblebush grows in North Carolina’s mountains.

  • possumhaw viburnum, Viburnum nudum (Dendrology fact sheet) Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
  • Viburnum lantanoides (Hobblebush) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

• Walter viburnum Viburnum obovatum harmless (may be edible)

  Eat The Weeds says possumhaw has longer leaves than Walter viburnum, whose leaves are 1 to 2 inches long and whose fruit is a 1/4-inch red to shiny black drupe; NC State gives its range as Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. No source checked names it as food or as poisonous.

  • Valuable Viburnums (Green Deane) Eat The Weeds
  • Viburnum obovatum (Walter’s Viburnum) NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
  • api.inaturalist.org/v1/observations

ID risk

Careful

Why

Privets, whose black to blue-black berries NC State lists as poisonous (rarely fatal for Japanese privet), have smooth-edged leaves: Chinese, border, garden and European privet leaves are 1 to 2 1/3 inches long (Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas), while withe-rod’s are 3 to 5 inches long (Virginia Tech); Japanese and glossy privet leaves are as long, but those privets are evergreen, while withe-rod is deciduous (NC State), and Eat The Weeds says withe-rod’s winged leaf stalk separates it from Japanese privet. Possumhaw holly shares the name but has alternate leaves and orange-red berries, and poison sumac, which causes a rash, has alternate compound leaves (Eat The Weeds; Nature’s Restaurant; NC State). Blackhaw, nannyberry, rusty blackhaw and hobblebush look similar but their fruit is edible (Virginia Tech; NC State).

Soil risk

low

Field safety for every outing (poison ivy, ticks, soil, and more)

When to pick

NC State gives the fruit’s display as August to October, and Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia say the drupes ripen from pale green through pink and purple to dark blue in clusters from July to October. All the colors appear in one cluster at the same time (NC State), so pick the fruits that have turned dark blue-black (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center) and leave the rest to ripen. Eat The Weeds says the fruit comes usually in September and October. Virginia Tech says the fruit persists through the winter, but in Vermont Practical Self Reliance finds that birds usually strip the northern wild raisin by early to mid-October. Too few DC-area sightings record fruit to show when it peaks here.

Where to look

Swamps, bogs and low wet woods; logged most at Suitland Bog Natural Area in Prince George’s County and in Barcroft Park in Arlington, both look-only, then on the University of Maryland campus (picking rules not checked) and in Great Falls Park, Virginia (look-only). The C&O Canal allows edible fruits generally but sets no limit for withe-rod (ambiguous: ask the park), and Virginia state parks allow picking but have no logged withe-rod, so pick from shrubs on private land, including planted ones, with the owner’s permission.

Habitats

floodplain & stream-valley forest, wetlands, marshes & pond edges

Most-logged places

None of the most-logged places allows picking.

Ask first: rules unclear or not checked

• University of Maryland, College Park campus

  9 sightings · Legal to pick: unknown · see them on iNaturalist

  Picking rules not checked.

Where you may pick

C&O Canal NHP’s compendium says edible fruits, nuts and berries may be gathered by hand for personal use but sets limits only for listed species; this one is not listed, so its status there is ambiguous: confirm with the park. Not on Prince William Forest Park’s list. Rock Creek Park (which also runs Glover-Archbold, Battery Kemble, the western and northern Civil War Defenses forts and many small DC reservations) bans gathering any fruit, nut, berry or seed. Virginia state parks allow edible fruits, berries, fungi or nuts to be collected for personal use (4VAC5-30-50). Pick on private land only with the owner’s permission.

• C&O Canal NHP (incl. Great Falls MD, trail-side only)

  Allowed: ambiguous · no limit set for this species; by hand, personal use; confirm with the park

  C&O 2026 compendium 2.1(c)(1): 'Edible fruits, nuts, berries, and mushrooms may be gathered by hand for personal use or consumption.' The limits table that follows does not list this species. 36 CFR 2.1(c)(1) requires designating 'certain' fruits, so the narrower reading (listed species only) is also possible. Confirm with the park.

• Virginia State Parks

  Allowed: yes · personal/individual use only; no quantity set (state parks within ~50 km: Mason Neck, Leesylvania); individual parks may post closures

  4VAC5-30-50 bars gathering any plant without a permit, except that edible fruits, berries, fungi or nuts may be collected for personal or individual use; withe-rod drupes are edible fruits

Every park’s rules

Ways to use it

• eat raw when ripe, spitting out the stone (Eat The Weeds)
• jams (NC State; Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia)
• fruit leather (Eat The Weeds)
• cook with water, strain out the seeds, and use the pulp or juice in jams, jellies, baked goods or drinks, as Nature’s Restaurant advises for nannyberry and for northern wild raisin
• harvest only the dark blue-black fruits, since one cluster holds ripe and unripe fruit at the same time (NC State; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center)

Keeping

Use within about 3 days, or cook, strain out the stones and freeze the pulp.

Use within

within a few days

Keeps fresh

Remove moldy or damaged fruit, refrigerate it unwashed and use it within about 3 days (general guidance for soft berries).

Canning

no tested recipe: refrigerate or freeze, don’t can

Keeping basis

general guidance for its type

Ways to keep it

• Dry as researched: dry/dehydrate; canning: n/a (not shelf-canned)

  Eat The Weeds lists fruit leather; remove the seeds first.

• Freeze as researched: freeze pulp; canning: n/a (not shelf-canned)

  Cook the fruit with water, strain out the seeds (Nature’s Restaurant), and freeze the pulp in containers with room to expand (University of Minnesota; general guidance for fruit purée).

• Jam/jelly as researched: jam/jelly; canning: no tested recipe — refrigerate or freeze

  NC State and Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia say the ripe drupes can be used in jams. No tested canning recipe exists for withe-rod, so refrigerate or freeze them.

Nutrition

Not researched: in October 2026, only the calendar’s plants of the month and chicory leaves were researched.

Native or not

Origin

native

Native range

eastern North America, from Newfoundland and Ontario south to Florida and east Texas

Virginia invasive rank

not listed

Maryland invasive status

not listed

How the ratings were set

Find

Patchy Estimate 143 = 113 research-grade iNaturalist sightings within 25 km + 133 needs-ID sightings counted at 1.8% (111 of the 6,242 research-grade Viburnum sightings here are withe-rod) + 28 'cultivated' (planted) sightings (rule A); that is tier 3 by count (rule B). Rule D does not apply: the DC Department of Energy & Environment’s draft 2025 Wildlife Action Plan says "Tier II SGCN are rare species that are known to be present or are likely present in the District" and lists possum-haw viburnum as Tier II, but the Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora, a source of equal standing about Virginia, calls it "Frequent in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont", regions that take in part of the circle; its "rare in the mountains", and the northern form’s "Infrequent in the mountains", are about Virginia’s mountains, outside the circle. Final tier 3.

Effort

Grab & eat Eat ripe blue-black fruit off the bush and spit out the stone; cooking the fruit with water and straining out the seeds for pulp or jam is a 2.

Sources

42 sources, each linked to the original.

1. Prince William Forest Park Superintendent’s Compendium National Park Service, Prince William Forest ParkBacks up: picking rules
2. C&O Canal NHP Superintendent’s Compendium National Park ServiceBacks up: picking rules
3. Rock Creek Park Superintendent’s Compendium National Park ServiceBacks up: picking rules
4. 4VAC5-30-50. Flowers, plants, minerals, etc. Virginia Law Library (law.lis.virginia.gov)Backs up: picking rules
5. Viburnum nudum (Possum-haw), Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic (2025 fact sheet) Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia / Virginia Cooperative ExtensionBacks up: description, habitat, season, uses, safety, keeping
6. Viburnum nudum (Possumhaw Viburnum, Smooth Witherod, Smooth Witherod Viburnum, Southern Wild Raisin, Wild Raisin) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: description, habitat, season, uses, safety, native or invasive status, keeping
7. Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) (Ashley Adamant) Practical Self RelianceBacks up: description, season
8. possumhaw viburnum, Viburnum nudum (Dendrology fact sheet) Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental ConservationBacks up: description, season, safety
9. Viburnum (possumhaw and northern wild raisin) Nature’s Restaurant OnlineBacks up: description, uses, safety, keeping
10. Valuable Viburnums (Green Deane) Eat The WeedsBacks up: description, uses, season, safety, keeping
11. iNaturalist research-grade observations of withe-rod (Viburnum nudum and V. cassinoides) within 25 km of downtown DC iNaturalistBacks up: findability
12. District of Columbia State Wildlife Action Plan 2025 (draft), Chapter 4: Species of Greatest Conservation Need DC Department of Energy & EnvironmentBacks up: findability
13. District of Columbia State Wildlife Action Plan 2025 (draft), Appendix A: SGCN, Watchlist, & Removed Species DC Department of Energy & EnvironmentBacks up: findability
14. Magnolia bogs are a trove of rare wetlands species Chesapeake Bay ProgramBacks up: habitat
15. Annotated Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Washington-Baltimore Area, Part I (Shetler & Orli, 2000) Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of BotanyBacks up: habitat, description
16. Viburnum nudum L. (Southern Wild Raisin, Possum-haw) (Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora) Virginia Botanical Associates (Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora)Backs up: habitat, findability
17. Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Plants of Maryland, March 2026 (Expanded) Maryland DNR Wildlife and Heritage Service, Natural Heritage ProgramBacks up: habitat, safety
18. Viburnum nudum (Possumhaw) Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterBacks up: habitat, season, safety, native or invasive status
19. Viburnum cassinoides L. (Northern Wild Raisin, Withe-rod) (Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora) Virginia Botanical Associates (Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora)Backs up: habitat, findability
20. How to Preserve Berries Utah State University ExtensionBacks up: keeping
21. How to freeze fruit safely University of Minnesota ExtensionBacks up: keeping
22. How Long Can I Store Frozen Foods National Center for Home Food Preservation (Univ. of Georgia)Backs up: keeping
23. USDA PLANTS Database: Viburnum nudum (VINU), native status USDA NRCSBacks up: native or invasive status
24. Virginia Invasive Plant Species List (effective date: September 2024) Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural HeritageBacks up: native or invasive status
25. Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant Law and Regulations (Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List, updated January 2026; additions effective July 15, 2026; 'Next Plants To Be Assessed' 2026-2027) Maryland Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection & Weed ManagementBacks up: native or invasive status
26. Non-Native Invasive Terrestrial Plant Species in the State of Maryland (updates approved through the April 18, 2024 MISC meeting) Maryland Invasive Species CouncilBacks up: native or invasive status
27. Invasive Plants in the District DC Department of Energy & EnvironmentBacks up: native or invasive status
28. Ligustrum japonicum (Japanese Privet, Privet, Wax-leaf Privet) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: safety
29. Ilex decidua (Possumhaw holly) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: safety
30. Toxicodendron vernix (Poison Sumac, Swamp Sumac, Thunderwood) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: safety
31. Viburnum prunifolium (Blackhaw) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: safety
32. Viburnum lentago (Nannyberry) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: safety
33. Viburnum rufidulum (Rusty Blackhaw) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: safety
34. Viburnum lantanoides (Hobblebush) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: safety
35. Viburnum obovatum (Walter’s Viburnum) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: safety
36. Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides (Witherod viburnum) Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterBacks up: safety, native or invasive status
37. Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, Field Guide (Swearingen & Fulton, 2022), Privet Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council / Passiflora Press (hosted by Bugwood/Mid-Atlantic Invaders Tool)Backs up: safety, native or invasive status, safety details
38. Identification of native blackhaw or non-native ligustrum in Austin (Ask Mr. Smarty Plants, expert answer) Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterBacks up: safety, safety details
39. Ligustrum sinense (Chinese Privet) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: safety, safety details
40. Ligustrum vulgare (Common Privet) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: safety, safety details
41. Ligustrum lucidum (Glossy Privet) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: safety, safety details
42. iNaturalist research-grade observations of withe-rod (Viburnum nudum and V. cassinoides) within 25 km of Washington, DC, by month (fruiting annotation) iNaturalistBacks up: season