Flower Notes:
White (Pink in bud opening to white in flower, appearing in early May, smelling a bit like cloves; 2.5" dia. hemispherical cymes open with foliage)
Foliage Notes:
Green (The semi-evergreen foliage is dark green and lustrous above and light gray below in spring/summer); Red (Turns wine-red in late autumn before falling; inconsistent)
Fruit Notes:
Red (Red berries in late fall ripen to black; not overly ornamental)
Diagnostic Characteristics:
Leaves are opposite, simple, thick, oblong to ovate, 1.5-4" long, rounded or heart-shaped. Upper leaf surface dark green and shiny, yet moderately rough to the touch, whereas the underside is gray-brown and pubescent, having rusty brown veins. Leaf buds are foliose, naked, tomentose. Flower buds resemble small cauliflowers.