Flower Notes:
Yellow (Numerous small yellow flowers in March and April; male catkins are 1" long whereas female flower buds are much shorter (polygamous or dioecious))
Foliage Notes:
Green (Bluish-green summer foliage); Red (Variable red to orange fall foliage)
Stem Notes:
reddish brown, slender, pubescent, fragrant when bruised
Fruit Notes:
Red (Interesting, but not overly abundant; in clusters of hairy, round drupes, only on female plants, in fall)
Soil Notes:
Widely adapted to different soil types, but prefers acid, well-drained soils
Diagnostic Characteristics:
Leaves alternate and trifoliate with the terminal leaflet being 1.5-3" long and toothed. Male catkins persist from summer through the winter. Pubescent stems are fragrant when crushed (some say the aroma is similar to that of turpentine).