Identification:
Leaves—ovate to lanceolate, rough-textured, dark green
Twigs—slender zigzagged, light brown to red-brown with lighter lenticels
Flower—monoecious, very small, light green, forms dense hanging clusters on stalks from the axils of new leaves; each flower has a 4 or 5 lobed calyx, appears in spring
Fruit—round drupes that change from green to purple or reddish-brown in autumn
Bark—grayish and generally smooth with characteristic corky warts or ridges
Hover over one of the descriptions to see an example.
Natural Description
Lifespan—between 150 and 200 years
General description—A small to medium-sized tree reaching up to 60 feet tall with a wide-spreading crown.
Natural distribution and habitat—North America from southern Ontario and Quebec, through parts of New England, south to North Carolina, west to northern Oklahoma, and north to South Dakota.
Conservation status—Least Concern (LC)
Uses—This tree was used for food, fuel, and medicinal purposes by Native Americans. Today, the wood is used for furniture, in baskets and crates, and some athletic equipment.