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September 2026: Blackhaw Viburnum

Writer: TreesLexington Staff
TreesLexington Staff
Sep 24
3 min read

By Andy Mead


Our September Tree of the Month is the Kentucky state champion for its species. It sits among the many tall trees in Woodland Park, the city’s oldest park. It is located on the main entrance side of the park near the sidewalk on High Street and the tennis courts and is 25 feet tall. 


1) Full form blackhaw viburnum at Woodland Park. 2) Lovely burl. 3) Looking into the viburnum canopy. Photos by Amy Steele.


It’s a blackhaw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium), which usually is grown as a large, multi-stemmed shrub in the muskroot family that may reach 12 to 15 feet in height, but can be pruned to become a taller, single stem tree. The state’s list of champion trees is compiled by the Kentucky Division of Forestry. A link is below.


Fall color beginning to show. Photo by Amy Steele.
Fall color beginning to show. Photo by Amy Steele.

Blackhaws are deciduous with red to purple and pinkish fall color. They are native to eastern and central North America, and grow naturally in bluegrass woodlands and forests. They prefer full sun or partial shade with medium to dry moisture in well-drained soil. They tolerate clay soils, cold winters and drought, and do well in urban conditions. The species name reflects the resemblance of the leaves to the leaves of the black cherry (Prunus). It got its common name because it looks somewhat like hawthorns. 


It’s an attractive tree or multi-stem shrub that’s great for wildlife. In the spring, blackhaws produce clusters of star-shaped white flowers that smell sweet and attract native bees, honeybees, hoverflies, butterflies and skippers. It is a host plant for the Spring Azure butterfly. Small oval fruit called drupes appear in the fall. They are a mixture of green, yellow and red-pink that turn blue-black at maturity. They are eaten by more than 35 bird species, including thrushes, cedar waxwings, cardinals and roughed grouse, as

Common name confusion happens. Photo by Andy Mead.
Common name confusion happens. Photo by Andy Mead.

well as by squirrels, chipmunks, foxes, raccoons, and humans. More drupes are likely if more than one blackhaw is planted. Blackhaws generally are pest free.


A plaque at the base of the tree in Woodland Park demonstrates how relying on common names when referring to trees can be problematic. The plaque has the correct Latin name for the tree, Viburnum prunifolium, but lists the common name as possumhaw viburnum, which has the Latin name Vibernum nudum. Sloane Hampton, a Forester for Kentucky Division of Forestry said his research found Viburnum prunifolium called possumhaw in some sources, and that it can be a regional term for blackhaw. Viburnum nudum is more commonly called possumhaw, especially in Kentucky where its range is primarily in the west. Heather Wilson, the city’s Urban and Community Forestry Section Manager, said the plaques were placed years ago and some have incorrect information or QR codes, but there currently are no plans or funds to replace them. 


Woodland Park was once part of a farm owned by a state senator. Its first appearance as a 10-acre park was in a 1882 newspaper advertisement for homes in the area. It became a city park in 1904. It has been a shady spot for Chautauqua meetings, Women’s Christian Temperance Union conventions, and theatrical and musical performances. Today there are swimming pools, tennis courts, a skateboard park and the annual Woodland Art Fair put on by the Lexington Art League, which attracts 70,000 people each August. It now covers 19.4 acres. A 2002 survey of Woodland Park by the University of Kentucky Urban Forest Initiative found 428 trees representing 115 species - the park is incredibly diverse and features many unique trees!

 

More information on Blackhaw viburnums:


Kentucky Champion Tree List:



1) More pretty color on the leaves. 2) A view into and through the viburnum. 3) Under the canopy in the park. Photos by Amy Steele.

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