black haw

plant

Also known as: Viburnum prunifolium

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

Black haw refers to several types of shrubs and trees. The most common definition points to Viburnum prunifolium, a shrub with white flowers and bluish-black fruit. It is also known as southern buckthorn or false buckthorn.1

Other plants referred to as black haw include two trees from the southern U.S., Bumelia tenax and B. lanuginosa. Additionally, a hawthorn species (Crataegus douglasii) found in the western U.S. is sometimes called black hawthorn. A related shrub, Viburnum rufidulum, is specifically known as the southern black haw.12

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viburnum
5-metre- (15-foot-) high black haw (V. prunifolium), of eastern North America, has plumlike leaves, small white flower clusters, and blue-black berries.
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5-metre- (15-foot-) high black haw (V. prunifolium), of eastern North America, has plumlike leaves, small white flower clusters, and blue-black berries.
Read More