I found these glowing berries in a nearby hedge. They are the fruits of the guelder rose, named apparently from the town of Geldern in modern-day Germany. The ealiest reference in the Oxford English Diction is from Gerard's Herbal of 1597
"The Rose Elder is called in Latine Sambucus Rosea, and Sambucus aquatica..in English Gelders Rose, and Rose Elder"
The modern botanical name is Viburnum Opulus and it's often called the snowball tree because of the flowers.
Gerard also calls it the elder rose and gives a description on page 255.
"... the leaves are like the vine leaves, among which come forth goodly floures of a white colour"
which ties in pretty well with Viburnum Opulus and you can see the vine-shaped leaves in my photograph.
Some sites suggest this is the plant that Chaucer refers to in the Nun's Priest's Tale as gaiter berries but I don't think there is enough evidence to be sure.
Guelder Roses
I found these glowing berries in a nearby hedge. They are the fruits of the guelder rose, named apparently from the town of Geldern in modern-day Germany. The ealiest reference in the Oxford English Diction is from Gerard's Herbal of 1597
"The Rose Elder is called in Latine Sambucus Rosea, and Sambucus aquatica..in English Gelders Rose, and Rose Elder"
The modern botanical name is Viburnum Opulus and it's often called the snowball tree because of the flowers.
Gerard also calls it the elder rose and gives a description on page 255.
"... the leaves are like the vine leaves, among which come forth goodly floures of a white colour"
which ties in pretty well with Viburnum Opulus and you can see the vine-shaped leaves in my photograph.
Some sites suggest this is the plant that Chaucer refers to in the Nun's Priest's Tale as gaiter berries but I don't think there is enough evidence to be sure.