Picture Notes:  

More Information:                                

Distribution:  Maine to Florida, west to eastern Kansas and Texas.

Synonyms:  

Hardiness Zone:  USDA Zones 5-9       (view USDA zone map)

Size:   15-30 ft. tall, with a spread of 15-20 ft.

Form:   Deciduous tree. Small, low-branched tree with horizontal branching, dense to fairly open, with a flat top.

Bark:   Bark looks like alligator skin.

Stem/Bud:   

Leaves:   Leaves are opposite, simple, entire or somewhat wavy, elliptic or ovate, 3-6 inches long.

Fall Color:   Fall color is an excellent reddish-purple.

Flower:   Flower buds are much larger than vegetative buds, globular, flattened, biscuit-shaped, with 2 outer and 2 inner scales. Flowers are small compact heads, surrounded by 4 petal-like white (pink or red) bracts, notched at the tip, about 2 inches across in mid-May.

Fruit:   Fruit is a glossy red drupe, l/2 inch long, 3-4 in a cluster, ripening in Sept.-Oct.

Uses:   Specimen, patio tree, border accent, naturalizing.

Problems:      

Culture:   

Links:   

Notes:    Note ecotypes, and seed from southern plants versus from northern plants. Found in dry oak woods, to rich deciduous woods, especially on hillsides and river banks.

Notes 2:   Leafs out late in spring. Native to Michigan.

Notes 3:   

Cultivars:   

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