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Habitat and Range. —Rich woods, thickets, river valleys, along fences.
Province of Quebec to Saskatchewan.
Frequent throughout New England.
South along the mountains to Georgia and Kentucky; west to Minnesota, Nebraska, and Missouri.
Habit. —A shrub or small tree, 10-25 feet in height with numerous branches forming a wide-spreading, compact rounded head; conspicuous by rich foliage, profuse, fragrant yellowish-white flowers, and long, drooping clusters of crimson fruit which deepen to a rich purple when fully ripe.
Bark. —Trunk and larger branches dark purplish or reddish brown, separating in old trees into small, firm sections; branchlets grayish-brown; season's shoots reddish-brown, dotted, more or less scurfy.
Winter Buds and Leaves. —Leaf-buds long, narrow, covered with scurfy, brown, leaf-like scales; flower-buds much longer, swollen at the base, with two leaf-like scales extended into a long, spire-like point. Leaves simple, opposite, 2-4 inches long, upper surface bright green, lower paler and set with rusty scales, ovate to oblong-ovate or orbicular, sharply and finely serrate, smooth, tapered or abruptly pointed; base acute to rounded or truncate; stem slender, wavy-margined, channeled above; stipules none.
Inflorescence. —May or early June. Terminal, in broad, flat-topped, compound, sessile cymes; calyx-tube adherent to the ovary, 5-toothed; corolla white, salver-shaped, segments 5, oval, reflexed; stamens 5, projecting, anthers yellow; pistil truncate.
Fruit. —Profuse, in clusters; drupes ½ inch long, oval, crimson when ripening, deep purple when fully ripe, edible, sweet: stone flat, oval, rough, obscurely striate lengthwise.
Horticultural Value. —Hardy throughout New England; prefers a rich soil in open places or in light shade. Its showy flowers, healthy foliage, and vigorous growth make it a desirable plant for high shrub plantations, and as an undergrowth in open woods. Offered for sale by collectors and occasionally by nurserymen; easily transplanted; propagated from seed or from cuttings.
| 1. Winter buds. |
| 2. Flowering branch. |
| 3. Flower. |
| 4. Flower, side view. |
| 5. Flower with petals and stamens removed. |
| 6. Fruiting branch. |