Habitat

• native to eastern United States
• hardy to zone 3

Habit and Form

• a deciduous shrub
• 2' to 6' tall
• 6' to 10' spread
• irregular crown and dense
• branches have ascending tips
• suckers
• medium texture
• slow growth rate

Summer Foliage

• alternate leaf arrangement
• trifoliate, deciduous leaves
• ovate leaf shape
• coarsely toothed
• 3" to 5" long
• pubescent
• underside
• glossy dark green

Autumn Foliage

• orange to reddish-purple fall color
• showy

Flowers

• dioecious
• yellow flowers
• blooms in late March
• 1" long catkins (male)
• short, terminal panicles (female)

Fruit

• hairy, red drupe
• female plants only
• matures in August
• persists
• borne in terminal panicles

Bark

• not ornamentally important

Culture

• transplant from containers
• full sun to mostly shade
• prefers acidic, well-drained soil
• soil adaptable
• suckers

Landscape Use

• massing
• woods edge
• naturalistic areas
• bank covers
• groundcover

Liabilities

• leaf spot
• rusts
• aphids
• mites
• scale

ID Features

• trifoliate leaves
• yellow, pubescent buds
• buds are covered by leaf scar

Propagation

• by seed
• by root cuttings

Cultivars/Varieties

'Gro-low' - This plant has become very popular -- especially in the Midwest -- for its tolerance of diverse and difficult cultural conditions. It forms low mounds of lustrous foliage that usually do not exceed 2' with a spread to 8' wide. It is a female form that forms red fruits. 'Konza' is another dwarf form, to 2' tall.

'Green Globe' - A larger growing cultivar, this plant can reach 6' and forms a dense, rounded plant.