Flowers:
Cream (White changing to creamy yellow in May; borne in leaf axils)
Foliage:
Green (Summer foliage; no appreciable fall color)
Fruit:
Red (Interesting dark red berries ripen in October; attractive to birds, who then spread the seeds)
Soil:
Widely adapted to different soils
Diagnostic Characteristics:
Opposite, simple, entire leaves are 2-3" long and 0.5-1.5" wide, darker on top and lighter below. Leaf tops and bottoms have pubescent veins. Generally, 2 glossy red fruits emerge at the base of each leaf. Stems are gray and more pubescent when young.
