The story
Coined c. 1597 by John Gerard, English herbalist. The plant is common along waysides in hedgerows, as might be passed by wayfarers.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
wayfaring-tree
Today it means: A much-branched European shrub of large size (Viburnum lantana), with dense cymes of small white flowers, the foliage and young shoots thickly covered with soft mealy down. Full definition →