FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
Brown twigs have raised elongated lenticels. A brown triangular membrane is present between petioles. Spherical "buttons" persist through winter. Early settlers were said to have used the buttons in clothing.
Description: Deciduous shrub, 1 to 3 m tall.
Leaves: Broad, shiny leaves ovoid to elliptic, with pointed ends. Shiny, opposite or whorled and entire. Leaves 7 to 15 cm long, 3 to 10 cm broad.
Flowers/Fruit: Flowers are small white tubes, formed on spheres about 3 cm in diameter. Clusters appear as balls or "buttons" following summer flowering period. Flowers June to August; fruits August/September.
Habit and Range: Usually in standing water at perimeters of lakes, ponds, freshwater marshes, forested wetlands, along streams throughout North Carolina, but less frequent in the Mountains.
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
Cornus amomum (silky dogwood) also has similar opposite, entire leaves, but with brown hairs beneath and thin fibers evident when leaves are broken. Leaves of Cephalanthus occidentalis (common buttonbush) can be similar to Viburnum nudum (possumhaw viburnum), which has fruits in clusters of bluish berries and lenticels on twigs are not elongated.
Click here to view Cornus amomum.
Click here to view Viburnum nudum.
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