Wayfaring tree or Guelder rose: how to tell them apart?
Wayfaring tree and Guelder rose look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Wayfaring tree
Viburnum lantana
Guelder rose
Viburnum opulus
Guelder rose has 3-lobed leaves, like a maple leaf, very different from the ovate, simply toothed and crinkled leaves of wayfaring tree.
🍃 Leaves
Opposite, ovate, crinkled, downy beneath
Opposite, with 3 pointed lobes, resembling a maple leaf
🌸 Flowers
Flat white corymbs
Flat corymb surrounded by large decorative white sterile flowers
🍎 Fruits
Berries turning from red to black, often both colours together on the same cluster
Bright red translucent berries in hanging clusters
🪵 Bark
Grey, downy twigs
Grey, visible lenticels
📏 Size
2 to 4 m tall
2 to 4 m tall
🗺️ Habitat
Hedges and woodland edges on calcareous soil
Damp hedges, woodland edges, ditch banks
⚠️ Toxicity
Fruits slightly toxic if ingested, causing digestive upset in large quantities.
Raw fruits slightly toxic if ingested (digestive upset), traditionally eaten cooked as jam in some regions.
🔎 And from the Guelder rose side
Guelder rose has 3-lobed leaves, like a maple leaf, very different from the ovate, simply toothed and crinkled leaves of wayfaring tree.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.