Habitat

• native to Maine down through Florida
• hardy to zone 4

Habit and Form

• a rounded, deciduous shrub
• loose, open form 8' to 12' tall
• equal width
• medium texture
• slow growth rate

Summer Foliage

• alternate leaf arrangement
• simple, deciduous leaves
• obovate leaf shape
• 3.5" to 5" long
• up to 2" wide
• entire leaf margins
• light green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

• yellow to golden yellow fall color
• showy

Flowers

• small, yellow flowers
• blooms early spring
• somewhat showy

Fruit

• scarlet, oval drupe
• 0.5" in diameter
• matures in September

Bark

• slender, greenish, brown stems
• lenticels
• aromatic when broken

Culture

• transplanted from containers
• full sun to partial shade
• prefers moist, well-drained soil

Landscape Use

• border
• naturalizing
• for flower effect
• fall color

Liabilities

• no serious problems

ID Features

• small superposed buds
• stalked flower buds
• no terminal buds
• alternate leaf arrangement
• small, yellow flowers in early spring
• scarlet, oval drupes

Propagation

• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

Though rarely available, the special forms of this native are nonetheless notable.

'Green Gold' - A non-fruiting form, this plant is notable for its very large, ornamental yellow blooms.

'Rubra' (also known as f. rubra) - This non-fruiting form is notable for its deep red-brown blooms.

'Xanthocarpa' (also known as f. xanthocarpa) - Discovered at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, this unique form has orange-yellow fruit.