Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus) · Herb Profile

At a glance

Botanical name: Viburnum opulus
Family: Adoxaceae
Part used: Bark
Taste: Bitter, Astringent
Temperature: Cool
Moisture: Neutral

No pre-1900 source found for this reading.

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Historical use for threatened miscarriage; modern use only under qualified practitioner guidance

While breastfeeding

Insufficient safety data; avoid therapeutic doses

For children

Avoid therapeutic doses under 12

Cautions

May potentiate antihypertensives (mild); contains natural salicylates — caution in salicylate sensitivity

General contraindications

Severe hypotension, salicylate hypersensitivity

Stewardship

Coppice harvest of branch bark from sustainably managed Viburnum opulus stands; never strip mature trees.

In the traditional record

Viburnum (the wayfaring trees) — referenced in European folk tradition; not specifically in canonical biblical texts.

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Educational use

The Apothecary is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.

On our sources

These entries draw on public-domain materia medica, most of it published before 1900, alongside a smaller number of modern reference works. Energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and moistening are a traditional framework for describing how a plant behaves in the body, not a laboratory measurement. Where a period source states one, we cite it. Where none does, and for many North American herbs none exists, the value reflects modern herbal consensus rather than a historical text. When we cannot support a caution with real evidence, we say nothing rather than guess.