Habitat

• native to eastern United States
• hardy to zone 4, and warmer parts of 3

Habit and Form

• a deciduous shrub
• multi-stemmed
• broad and rounded crown
• arching branches
• 5' to 12' tall
• medium texture
• fast growth rate

Summer Foliage

• opposite leaf arrangement
• odd-pinnately, compound leaves
• 5 to 11 leaflets, usually 7
• 2" to 6" long
• sharply serrated
• lobed
• dark green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

• yellowish-green fall color
• not ornamentally important

Flowers

• white flowers
• blooms in July
• borne in cymes, 6" to 10 " across
• showy

Fruit

• purplish-black fruit
• drupe
• matures in September
• edible

Bark

• yellowish-gray stems
• covered in lenticels
• crescent-shaped leaf scars

Culture

• transplants easily
• prefers moist soil
• pH adaptable

Landscape Use

• naturalized effect
• bogs
• for fruit

Liabilities

• powdery mildew
• leaf spot

ID Features

• usually no terminal bud
• brown and small lateral buds

Propagation

• by seed
• by division
• by semi-hardwood cuttings

Cultivars/Varieties

'Acutiloba' (also listed as 'Laciniata') - This more demure form features leaflets that are deeply incised. It grows to 8' tall and does not fruit as well as the species.

'Adams' and 'York' - Selected for their larger, more numerous fruits, these selections are often planted by gardeners interested in the edible fruit. They are otherwise similar to the species.

'Aurea' - Probably the most common form of the species, this plant presents golden leaves that hold their color -- even in warm summer areas. It reaches 10' tall and wide, but is often pruned harshly every spring to force fresh foliage.

'Variegata' - The narrow leaflets of this selection are outlined in creamy white-yellow. It appreciates some protection from direct sun.