Family: elderberries (Sambucaceae)
Blooming time: April–June
Size: 1–4 m
Habitat: forest edges and shrub slopes
Wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana) is a shrub with fluffy, downy branches. Its simple ovate leaves with serrated margins are densely hairy on both sides. They are arranged opposite. At the tips of the shoots, numerous white, fragrant five-petaled flowers form a semicircular inflorescence. In the wayfaring tree, all the flowers in the inflorescence are of equal size. Its ovate fruits, containing a single seed, are initially bright red, but when ripe they turn black. Despite their pretty appearance, the fruits of the wayfaring tree are poisonous!
Wayfaring tree grows on moderately fertile soils, on calcareous substrates in moderately warm locations. It is widespread throughout Slovenia.
