Cramp Bark

(Viburnum opulus)

Other Names:

American cranberry, water elder, snowball tree, common snowball, European cranberrybush

Range:

Family:

Adoxaceae - Moschatel Family

Growth Type:

Deciduous shrub

Height:

Can grow up to 15 feet tall. Under the right conditions, it may grow a bit taller

Leaves:

The leaves are arranged opposite along the stem. They are three-lobed and approximately 2–4 inches long. They are as broad as they are long. Each leaf has a rounded base and coarsely serrated margins. They bear a superficial resemblence to the leaves of some maples.

Stem/Trunk:

Woody stems

Root:

Not observed

Flower Season:

Early summer

Flower Appearance:

The white flowers are borne in an inflourescence at the top of the branch.

Seed/Fruit:

The pollenated flowers ripen to a red drupe approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diamater. Each fruit contains a single seed

Miscellaneous characteristics:

N/A

Habitat:

V. opulus can grow in most soils, but it prefers moist, moderately alkaline soils.

Parts Used:

Fruit, Roots, Bark

Culinary Uses:

V. opulus can be eaten in any way you would eat traditional cranberries.

Energetics

Taste: Pungent
Thermal: Cooling
Humidity: Drying

Traditional Medicinal Uses:

Cancer, Child Birth, Common Cold, Cramps, Dysmenorrhea, Eye Ailments, Gastrointestinal Disturbances, Growing Pains, Heart Ailments, High Blood Pressure, Hysteria, Infection, Intestinal Cramps, Kidney Ailments, Menstrual Cramps, Menstrual Pain, Parturition, Pulmonary Ailments, Rectal Cramps, Rhythmic Cramps, Scurvy, Spasms, Urinary Pain, Uterine Pain.

Indigenous Usage:

Fox, Iroquois, Micmac, Montagnais, Ojibwa, Penobscot

Usage Citations

The fact that studies concerning all indications listed above have not yet been completed, does not mean said uses are invalid. The plants I have included have a long history of effective use, and most were part of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia prior to the advent of allopathic medicine.

Dysmenorrhea: (Nikhitha et al., 2023)
Hypertension: (Zakłos-Szyda et al., 2020)

Medicinal Actions:

Antiasthmatic, Antiscorbutic, Antispasmodic, Blood-Cleanser, Cathartic, Contraception, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Spasmolytic