Shrub of the Month-March 2010
Tagged as:
Leatherwood
(Dirca palustris)
This March's Shrub of the Month, a delightful oddity bears small, pale-yellow tube-shaped flowers in early spring, before its leaves even emerge. Find this rare shrub in the Diversity Collection on the Arboretum's East Side
The name leatherwood gives you a clue to this shrub's most distinctive feature: its soft, flexible, leathery stems. Try bending one and you'll discover it can withstand being tied into a knot. Native Americans peeled off strips of the fibrous bark and wove it into cords for baskets and fishing lines. Like other members of the mezereum family, its bark and roots have strong chemicals. These can be toxic or produce allergic reactions, although they have been made into infusions for treating a number of medical conditions.
Mature size: 4 to 6 feet and the same width
Rate of growth: Very slow
Visit this shrub in all seasons to see its changing features!
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| Foliage | Flower |
Click to enlarge photo