Habitat

• native to Europe and parts of Asia
• naturalized widely in the eastern half of the United States
• hardy to zone 3
• Special Note: This species has demonstrated an invasive tendency in Connecticut, meaning it may escape from cultivation and naturalize in minimally managed areas. For more information, .

Habit and Form

• a large deciduous shrub
• rounded crown
• suckers
• 18' to 25' tall
• width is usually equal or slightly less
• medium texture
• fast growth rate

Summer Foliage

• subopposite leaf arrangement
• simple, elliptic leaves
• 1.5" to 3" long
• subcordate leaf base
• serrated leaf margin
• dark green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

• yellowish-green leaf color
• not impressive

Flowers

• dioecious
• small, green flowers
• blooms in May
• not showy

Fruit

• berry-like drupe
• black and glossy color
• 0.25" in diameter
• fruit covers branches
• can be showy
• birds enjoy fruit
• poisonous

Bark

• color is light brown
• slender stems
• scaley

Culture

• full sun
• easy to transplant
• tolerant of most conditions
• prune tolerant

Landscape Use

• screen
• hedge
• for fruiting effect
• to attract wildlife

Liabilities

• weedy appearance
• invasive in some areas
• leaf spot
• powdery mildew
• aphids, scales and rusts

ID Features

• jet, black fruit along stems
• subopposite leaf arrangement
• small imbricate, appressed buds
• terminal bud modified into a spine

Propagation

• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

• none