Download NYNHP Conservation Guide for Squashberry

Squashberry
Viburnum edule
Photo credits: Julia Goren
Scientific Name
Viburnum edule
(Michx.) Raf.
Family Name
Caprifoliaceae
Honeysuckle Family
Did you know?
Squashberry may be more common than we think
because it occurs along small streams in the
Adirondacks and most of these are fairly
inaccessible. Pioneers in Newfoundland swallowed
the juice of the berries in the belief that it cured
colds (Squashberry in The Dark Tickle Company,
web site accessed 21 November 2007). The berry
is indeed easy to squash.
Summary
Protection Threatened in New York State, not listed federally.
This level of state protection means: listed species are those with: 1) 6 to fewer than 20
extant sites, or 2) 1,000 to fewer than 3,000 individuals, or 3) restricted to not less than 4
or more than 7 U.S.G.S. 7 ½ minute topographical maps, or 4) listed as threatened by
U.S. Department of Interior.
Rarity G5, S2
A global rarity rank of G5 means: This species is demonstrably secure globally, though it
may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
A state rarity rank of S2 means: This plant is threatened/imperiled in New York because of
rarity (typically 6-20 populations or few remaining individuals) or is vulnerable to extirpation
from New York due to biological factors.
Conservation Status in New York
There are 14 existing populations but all of them have fewer than 50 plants each. There
are three additional historical records, and more populations may be found as more remote
streams are surveyed. Numbers may decrease in the future if plants are attacked by the
viburnum leaf beetle.
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Squashberry (Viburnum edule)
Short-term Trends
Short-term trends seem stable although more survey work is needed to understand how
many of the small populations are persisting. Future trends could decline dramatically if
plants are affected by the viburnum leaf beetle.
Long-term Trends
Most of the historical records have been relocated and recent survey work has discovered
many new populations. Many populations have probably persisted throughout the
Adirondacks for a long time.
Conservation and Management
Threats
Threats are low but some plants close to the trail may be trampled by hikers. It is unknown
to what extent deer and possibly moose browse this species. A future threat may be
viburnum leaf beetle.
Conservation Strategies and Management Practices
Plants near hiking trails should be monitored for hiker impacts.
Research Needs
Populations should be monitored to observe if plants are attacked by the viburnum leaf
beetle. Habitat preference should be studied to determine why the species seems rare in
habitat that is common throughout the Adirondacks, and why populations are usually small.
Habitat
In New York squashberry has typically been discovered in boreal forest habitats of the
Adirondacks, most often though not always along streams. At these sites the soils are rocky, with
the plants sometimes growing from cracks among talus or boulder fields. The lone site from the
Catskill Mountains, though not as boreal in character, is also a rocky, moist microhabitat along a
stream (New York Natural Heritage Program 2007). Moist woods (Gleason and Cronquist 1991).
Woods and thickets, and on mts. or cool slopes (Fernald 1970).
Associated Ecological Communities
Mountain Fir Forest
A conifer forest that occurs at high elevations in the Catskill and Adirondack mountains,
usually at elevations ranging from 3500 to 4500 ft. This forest typically occurs on cool
upper slopes that are exposed to wind, at elevations above spruce-northern hardwood
forests, usually above mountain spruce fir forest, and below alpine krummholz. The
vegetation typically has a low species diversity; the tree layer is almost entirely balsam fir.
Mountain Spruce-fir Forest
A conifer forest that occurs at high elevations in the Catskill and Adirondack mountains,
usually at elevations ranging from 3000 to 4000 ft. This forest occurs on upper slopes that
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Squashberry (Viburnum edule)
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are somewhat protected from the prevailing westerly winds, usually at elevations above
spruce-northern hardwood forests, and below mountain fir forests. The dominant trees are
red spruce and balsam fir.
Spruce Flats
A mixed forest that occurs on moist sites along the borders of swamps and in low flats
along lakes and streams in the Adirondacks. Soils are strongly podzolized, loamy to sandy,
and seasonally moist, but not saturated and not peaty. Typically, the dominant trees are
red spruce and red maple.
Spruce-northern Hardwood Forest
A mixed forest that occurs on lower mountain slopes and upper margins of flats on glacial
till. This is a broadly defined community with several variants; it is one of the most common
forest types in the Adirondacks. Codominant trees are red spruce, sugar maple, American
beech, yellow birch, and red maple, with scattered balsam fir.
Associated Species
Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)
Mountain Paper Birch (Betula cordifolia)
Bluejoint (Calamagrostis canadensis)
Blue Bead-lily (Clintonia borealis)
Goldthread (Coptis trifolia)
Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
Whorled Aster (Oclemena acuminata)
Red Spruce (Picea rubens)
Largeleaf Goldenrod (Solidago macrophylla)
American Mountain-ash (Sorbus americana)
Velvetleaf Huckleberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides)
Identification Comments
Squashberry is an opposite-branched, erect shrub growing up to 2 m tall. The leaves are
simple, opposite, and glabrous (or nearly so), with palmate veins, 3 shallow lobes, and they
are toothed. The flowers are white and borne laterally on the branches in clusters up to 2.5
cm wide. The fruit are red when mature.
Best Life Stage for Identifying This Species
This species is easiest to identify when it has flowers or fruit, but plants without these may
be identified, too.
The Best Time to See
Squashberry flowers in June and July, and the fruits may persist into September.
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Squashberry (Viburnum edule)
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Flowering
Fruiting
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The time of year you would expect to find Squashberry in New York.
Similar Species
Viburnum acerifolium has leaves with a similar overall shape, but the undersides are
covered with soft, white hairs, the flower clusters are terminal, and the mature fruits are
black. Viburnum opulus has leaves with deeper lobes, coarser teeth, and glands and
stipules on the petioles, and its flower clusters have large, sterile flowers around their
perimeters.
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Anthophyta
Class
Dicots (Dicotyledoneae)
Order
Dipsacales
Family
Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family)
Additional Common Names
Mooseberry
Additional Resources
Links
New Brunswick fact sheet
http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/subsite/mx-212/squashberry
Squashberry in Newfoundland
http://www.darktickle.com/squashberryinfo.aspx
New York Flora Atlas
http://www.newyork.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=728
USDA Plants Database
http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?mode=sciname&keywordquery=
VIBURNUM+EDULE
Google Images
http://images.google.com/images?q=VIBURNUM+EDULE
NatureServe Explorer
http://natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=VIBURNUM+EDULE
Colin's Virtural Herbarium
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Squashberry (Viburnum edule)
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http://www.colinherb.com/Caprifoliaceae/Viburnum/Edule/Viburnum_edule.htm
References
Fernald, M.L. 1950. Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. D. Van Nostrand, New York. 1632 pp.
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States
and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 pp.
Haines, Arthur and Thomas F. Vining. 1998. Flora of Maine. A Manual for Identification of Native
and Naturalized Vascular Plants of Maine.
Holmgren, Noel. 1998. The Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist's Manual. Illustrations
of the Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York
Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York.
Keys, Jr.,J.; Carpenter, C.; Hooks, S.; Koenig, F.; McNab, W.H.; Russell, W.;Smith, M.L. 1995.
Ecological units of the eastern United States - first approximation (cd-rom), Atlanta, GA: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GIS coverage in ARCINFO format, selected imagery,
and map unit tables.
NatureServe. 2005. NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, Virginia. USA
New York Natural Heritage Program. 2010. Biotics database. New York Natural Heritage Program.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, NY.
Newcomb, Lawrence. 1977. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide: An Ingenious New Key System for
Quick, Positive Field Identification of the Wildflowers, Flowering Shrubs, and Vines of
Northeastern and North-Central North America. Little, Brown and Company. Boston.
Soper, James H. and Margaret L. Heimburger. 1982. Shrubs of Ontario. The Royal Ontario
Museum, Toronto, Canada, 495P.
Voss, Edward G. 1996. Michigan Flora Part III. Dicots Concluded (Pyrolaceae - Compositae).
Cranbrook Institute of Science Bulletin 61 and University of Michigan Herbarium. 622 pp.
Weldy, T. and D. Werier. 2010. New York flora atlas. [S.M. Landry, K.N. Campbell, and L.D. Mabe
(original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research
http://www.fccdr.usf.edu/. University of South Florida http://www.usf.edu/
Weldy, Troy W. and David Werier. 2005. New York Flora Atlas. [S.M. Landry, K.N. Campbell, and
L.D. Mabe (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and
Research. University of South Florida]. New York Flora Association, Albany,
New York Natural Heritage Program
This project is made possible with funding from:
625 Broadway, 5th Floor,
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River
Albany, NY 12233-4757
Estuary Program
Phone: (518) 402-8935
- Division of Lands & Forests, Department of Environmental Conservation
[email protected]
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Information for this guide was last updated on Nov 03, 2015
This guide was authored by
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Squashberry (Viburnum edule)
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