Habitat

• native to Japan
• cold hardy to zone 4

Habit and Form

• a deciduous large shrub to small tree
• open habit with stiff branches
• 15' to 20' tall
• 10' to 15' wide
• coarse texture
• medium growth rate

Summer Foliage

• deciduous simple leaves
• opposite leaf arrangement
• elliptic leaf shape
• 2" to 5" long
• serrated leaf margins
• dark green leave color
• pubescent leaf veins and petioles
• crushed leaves emit foul odor

Autumn Foliage

• no fall color

Flowers

• off-white flowers
• blooms in late May
• flat-topped cymes
• 3" to 6" across
• very showy, can cover whole plant

Fruit

• oval drupes, found in clusters
• red maturing to black
• ripens in September
• 0.33" to 0.5" in length
• very showy

Bark

• gray
• stems are stout
• leaf scar connects around the stem
• alligator-like bark
• prominent lenticels

Culture

• very easy to grow
• prefers moist, well-drained soils
• full sun to partial shade
• pH adaptable
• easily transplanted

Landscape Use

• border
• screen
• specimen
• mass plantings and groupings
• to attract birds
• for flowering effect

Liabilities

• free from serious problems

ID Features

• large, opposite leaves
• oval, black fruits in clusters
• upright stiff habit
• flat clusters of small creamy white flowers
• leaf scars encircle stems
• valvate buds
• alligator-plated bark

Propagation

• by cuttings
• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

'Seneca' - The most popular form of this species, this plant was selected for its abundant production of red fruit that remain attractive far longer than those of the species. This is a large shrub or small tree that reaches 20' tall and offers dark green foliage that may turn red in fall.