Pam Oh Herbs

Cramp bark

Viburnum opulus, family Adoxaceae. Part discussed: Bark.

Identity

Common name
Cramp bark
Botanical name
Viburnum opulus
Family
Adoxaceae
Part or material
Bark
Classification
Botanical
Educational category
Women's Wellness

About

Viburnum opulus, Adoxaceae, dried bark. The literature records frequent interchange with V. prunifolium (black haw) as a distinct species.

Forms and distinctions

Different preparations of the same material are described separately, because what is recorded for one form does not carry to another.

Dried bark. The AHP monograph dates from 2000 and carries a currency note.

Safety considerations

Traditional caution in pregnancy on uterine-activity grounds; gastrointestinal irritation; species interchange with V. prunifolium is recorded as a quality and identity risk rather than a pharmacological one.

References

The authorities this entry draws on, named so you can weigh them yourself.
  • "Cramp bark: analytical · Institutional reference source
  • Viburnum opulus · Institutional reference source
  • "Viburnum opulus L. · Peer-reviewed scientific literature

This entry is educational. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a statement about any Pam Oh Herbs Collection or its contents. It carries no dosage and no claim of effect.