Plant · P-921

Cramp Bark

Viburnum opulus

Cramp Bark is a hardy deciduous shrub grown for its lobed maple-like foliage, flat white lacecap flower heads, and tart red berries that substitute for cranberries in jellies and preserves once cooked. Its bark has a long history of use as an antispasmodic for cramps and menstrual pain. It tolerates a wide range of soils from sandy to heavy clay and full sun to light shade, but wants consistently moist ground and struggles where the soil dries out, and its bird-carried berries can seed new plants well beyond where it was planted.