Flower profile

Hobblebush

Viburnum lantanoides

Native in the lower 48

Hobblebush is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

17states

5of our state lists

20,465U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont

Quick look

Viburnum lantanoides is a perennial shrub of the family Viburnaceae, growing 2–4 meters (6.6–13.1 ft) high with pendulous branches that take root where they touch the ground. These rooted branches form obstacles which easily trip walkers – hence the common name.
From Wikipedia's article Viburnum lantanoides, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Viburnaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 17 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Maine and Massachusetts. ^NatureServe
In New Hampshire, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
In Vermont, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 10 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 5,702 research-grade sightings of it in New Hampshire, ranking #3 among the 109 flowers on our New Hampshire list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,638 research-grade sightings of it in Vermont, ranking #5 among the 110 flowers on our Vermont list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,994 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #75 among the 109 flowers on our New York list. ^iNaturalist

Hobblebush gift ideas

Handmade hobblebush gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Hobblebush art print
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Hobblebush greeting card
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Hobblebush mug
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Hobblebush earrings
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Hobblebush embroidery pattern
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Hobblebush sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,822 records)

Bloom time in each of our 5 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New Hampshire	Native	May–June	5,702
Vermont	Native	April–May	3,638
New York	Native	April–May	2,994
Maine	Native	May–June	2,354
Massachusetts	Native	April–May	2,172

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
New York: Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: S5, secure in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: GA (SH), KY (S1), NJ (S1), OH (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Viburnum lentago (“Black Haw”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records hobblebush in 17 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia.

New Hampshire counties with USDA records: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, Sullivan.

Vermont counties with USDA records: Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, Windsor.

New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Columbia, Delaware, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Monroe, New York, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Oswego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schuyler, St. Lawrence, Sullivan, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westchester, Wyoming.

More New Hampshire flowers

American black elderberry

Sambucus canadensis

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Red-berried elder

Sambucus racemosa

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🌼 Blooms: April–July

Mapleleaf viburnum

Viburnum acerifolium

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VILA11.
iNaturalist, Viburnum lantanoides: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Viburnum lantanoides (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Viburnum lantanoides (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Annie Evankow via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.