Chionanthus virginicus, Old-man's-beard

Size: tree or shrub, 15-20' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: usually 3 paris of exposed scales, brown, pointed terminal, rounded lateral

Leaves: deciduous, opposite or subopposite, 3-8" long, 1.5-4" wide, simple, narrow elliptic to obovate-oblong, acute or acuminate tips, margins entire, medium to dark green above, paler below

Twigs: stout, slightly square, peeling outer layer, u-shaped bundle scars

Flowers: essentially dioecious, but trees of one gender may indlude some perfect flowers, white, lightly fragrant, 4 petals, 1.25" long, very narrow, bloom May-June

Fruit: dark blue egg-shaped drupe, up to .66"

Bark: gray, ridges and furrows on older branches

Comptonia peregrina, Sweetfern

Size: shrub, groundcover, 2-4' average height at maturity, with a suckering spread that can be twice its height

Buds: minute, globular, solitary, sessile, red-brown, 2-4 exposed hairy scales (buds appear woolly)

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 2-4.25" long, .33-.625" wide, simple, linear, fern-like, roundish-ovate lobes, pale green at first, turning dark green in summer, often green-brown in fall, tan to brown in winter

Twigs: younger stems green or yellow-red-brown, covered with resinous dots, aromatic when broken

Flowers: usually monoecious, yellow-green to pale brown in spring be3fore leaves, males cylindric 1" upright catkins crowded at twig ends, females globose-ovoid solitary catkins

Fruit: olive-brown, .2" long, borne in burr-like cluster of bracts in late summer to fall

Bark: older stems yellow-brown, shiny and somewhat hairy, oldest stems red-purple or coppery brown

Corylopsis spicata, Spike Winterhazel

Size: shrub, 5-7' average height at maturity

Buds: green-brown to pink-brown, large, solitary, 3 scales

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 2-4" long, 2-3" wide, petiole .5-1" long and woolly, simple, ovate to obovate, abruptly short acuminate, obliquely cordate to rounded, sinuate-denticulate with bristle-like teeth, 6-8 vein pairs, new growth emerges purplish, then turns blue-green in summer, glaucous and downy below

Twigs: thick, rounded, zig-zag appearance, brown, mostly glabrous

Flowers: perfect, pale yellow or yellow-green, borne in 1-2" pendulous racemes of 6-12 flowers in early spring before leaves

Fruit: 2 valves, dehiscent capsule, not ornamental

Bark: grey-brown, smooth

Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie', Carol Mackie Daphne

Size: shrub, 3-4' average height and spread at maturity

Leaves: semievergreen, alternate, small, simple, rounded, dull blue-green

Flowers: monoecious, pink-tinged, opening white in dense terminal clusters, very fragrant

Fruit: red drupe, .33"

Davidia involucrata, Dove Tree

Size: tree, 20-40' average height at maturity

Buds: solitary, 6 shiny blunt-tipped scales with paler margins, reddish brown

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 2-5.5" long, 1.5-4" wide, simple, broadly ovate, acuminate tip, cordate base, margins dentate-serrate, dense silky pubescence below, about 8 sets of conspicuous veins, bright green changes to duller green or brown in fall

Twigs: stout, round, fairly zigzagging, round pale pith, leaf scars have 3 large bundle scars

Flowers: monoecious, true flowers inconspicuous, bracts creamy white, bloom in May

Fruit: solitary, roundish, 1.5", green becoming russet speckled with red, contains single larged ridged nut

Bark: Orange and brown, scaly

Enkianthus campanulatus, Redvein Enkianthus

Size: shrub, 6-8' average height at maturity

Buds: minute, sunken into notch of leaf scar, flower buds large, ovoid, about .33"

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, mostly bunched at twig tips, 1-3" long, .5-1.25" wide, simple, basically elliptic, tips acute or acuminate, margins serrulate, bright to medium green, dark green later in summer, yellow, orange, red in fall

Twigs: slender, 3-sided or rounded, reddish when young, later brown

Flowers: monoecious, bell-shaped, creamy yellow or light orange with red veins, .33-.5" long, bloom in May in pendulous racemes

Fruit: 5-valved egg-shaped capsule, .75"

Bark: reddish when young, brown with age

Fothergilla gardenii, Dwarf Fothergilla

Size: shrub, 2-3' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: vegetative buds stalked, 2 scales that drop early, stalks often branched, flower buds ovoid to rounded

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 1-2.5" long, .75-1.75" wide, simple, obovate to oblong, entire or dentate above middle of leaf, tips obtuse, somewhat leathery, dark green or blue-green, yellow, orange, scarlet in fall

Twigs: light brown, zigzagging, pith greenish in young stems

Flowers: monoecious, many white terminal spikes, 2" long, 1" wide, bloom in spring, apetalous, look like small bottlw brushes, smell of honey

Fruit: 2-valved capsule

Halesia tetraptera, Carolina Silverbell

Size: tree or shrub, 20-30' average height at maturity, 20-35' spread

Buds: laterals often larger than terminal, true terminal absent, individual bud scales usually have dark margins, buds on short stalks

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 2-5" long, 1.5-2.5" wide, simple, ovate or ovate-oblong to elliptic, acuminate tips, margins entire, yellow-green in summer, yellow or yellow-green in fall

Twigs: firm, glabrous, brown, 1 bundle scar

Flowers: monoecious, white or light pink, bell-shaped, up to 1" long, 4 lobes, in clusters of 2-5 from axils of year-old wood, bloom April-May

Fruit: 4-angled capsule

Bark: exfoliates in fine sheets on wood older than 2 years

Hamamelis mollis, Chinese Witchhazel

Size: tree or shrub, 10-15' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: terminal stalked, naked, or partially covered by thin papery scales, gray-brown, densely pubescent

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 3-6" long, 2.25-3" wide, simple, obovate to orbicular obovate, tips short acuminate, margins sinuous, denticulate, dull green, pubescent above, gray tomentose below, yellow to yellow-orange in fall

Twigs: gray pubescent in first year, later gray to gray-brown, glabrous

Flowers: monoecious, bright yellow in early spring, fragrant, 4 straplike petals, basal calyx cup rich red-brown, blooms February-March

Fruit: 2-valved capsule that ejects 2 black seeds at maturity

Bark: smooth gray to gray-brown

Hamamelis virginiana, Common Witchhazel

Size: shrub, 15-25' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: terminal naked, brownish, pubescent, flower buds absent in winter, remnants (sepals) of flowers persist as young undeveloped fruits that overwinter and mature the second year

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 3-6" long, 2-3.5" wide, leaves thinish, obovate or elliptic, tips obtuse, short acuminate, coarsely crenate or dentate margins, medium or dark green, yellow in fall

Twigs: zigzagging, brownish, pubescent, pith small, green

Flowers: monoecious, yellow flowers in October, 4 straplike petals, each .5" long, fragrant

Fruit: pubescent 2-valved capsule, .5"

Bark: smooth gray to gray-brown

Ilex verticillata, Winterberry

Size: shrub, 6-8' average height at maturity, 6-12' spread

Buds: small (.0625"), imbricate, globose, brownish

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 1.5-3" long, .5-1" wide, simple, broad elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, margins serrate or doubly serrate, tips acute or acuminate, color varies according to cultivar, often dark green, no fall color

Twigs: slender, glabrous, small leaf scars, stipules very small dark black points on twig surface at each side of leaf scar

Flowers: dioecious, white, males in clusters of 6 or more in leaf axils, females in smaller clusters

Fruit: bright red, .25-.5", often in pairs

Bark: dark gray, brown, black on old stems

Itea virginica, Virginia Sweetspire

Size: shrub, 3-5' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: superposed, upper larger than lower, imbricate, reddish green

Leaves: deciduous, semievergreen or evergreen, alternate, 1.5-4" long, .75-1.25" wide, simple, elliptic to oblong, tips acute or short acuminate, margins usually serrulate, medium to dark green above, often slightly pubescent below, fall colors include vivid reds, purples, yellows, oranges

Twigs: crescent-shaped leaf scars, irregularly chambered white pith

Flowers: monoecious, white, dense upright clusters that are 2-6" long and .625" wide, individual flowers .33-.5" wide, lightly fragrant, bloom in June

Fruit: capsules, .25-.33", with 5 valves, persist through winter

Bark: green to reddish purple

Magnolia virginiana, Sweetbay Magnolia

Size: tree, 10-20' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: sparsely pubescent, glabrous, bright green on 1-year-old wood, terminal bud slightly larger than other buds, conical, slightly pointed

Leaves: evergreen, but generally deciduous in Ithaca, alternate, 3-5" long, 1.5-2.5" wide, simple, elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, margins entire, tips acute or obtuse, dark green, often shiny above, silvery below, sometimes yellow in fall

Twigs: green, stipular line completely encircles twig at each leaf scar, large circular scars on older wood where flowers and fruits once were

Flowers: monoecious, creamy white, 2-3", lemon scent, bloom in June and sporadically throughout the summer

Fruit: cucumber-like aggregate of follicles, dark red, 2", bright red seeds

Bark: smooth gray to brown

Oxydendrum arboreum, Sourwood

Size: tree, 25-30' average height at maturity, spread 20' spread

Buds: terminal absent, about 6 scales

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 3-8" long, 1.5-3.5" wide, simple, elliptic-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, tips acuminate, margins entire or serrulate, shiny dark green, bright red, yellow, and purple in fall

Twigs: slender, olive or bright red

Flowers: monoecious, white, urn-shaped, fragrant, in pendulous clusters up to 10" long, bloom June-July

Fruit: woody, 5-valved, bell-shaped capsules to .5"

Bark: gray-brown or brown, deeply furrowed, scaly ridges broken into blocks

Rhododendron mucronulatum, Korean Azalea

Size: shrub, 4-8' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: clustered at twig tips, light brown, glabrous

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 1-4" long, .5-1.25" wide, simple, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, tip acute to obtuse, margins entire, very aromatic when crushed, soft green in summer, yellow and bronze-crimson in fall

Twigs: yellow resinlike dots, 1 bundle scar

Flowers: monoecious, rosy purple, 1.5" long and wide, terminal clusters of 3-6, bloom late March to early April

Fruit: dry capsule

Rhododendron schlippenbachii, Royal Azalea

Size: shrub, 6-8' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: weakly imbricate, yellowish-brown, pubescent, .25" long

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, clustered at end of branch, appearing whorled,2-5.5" long, 1.5-3" wide, thin, short petiole, simple, obovate, slightly pubescent when young, glabrous when mature, dark green above and pale yellow below during the summer, change subtle yellow, orange, and red in fall

Twigs: slender, round, current year growth is brown, changes to gray-brown

Flowers: perfect, pale pink, fragrant, 3-6 per inflorescence, bloom mid- to late-spring

Fruit: gray-brown

Stephanandra incisa, Cutleaf Stephanandra

Size: groundcover, 2-3' average height at maturity, 4-7' spread

Buds: often superposed, uppermost larger, breaks off first to form main branch, about 4 scales

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 2-ranked, 1-3", simple, ovate, tips long acuminate with incised lobes and serrations, bright green, reddish purple or reddish orange in fall

Twigs: bud and leaf scar below branch, color uniform light brown, smooth

Flowers: monoecious, yellowish white, 2.5" terminal clusters, inconspicuous

Fruit: inconspicuous follicle

Bark: warm brown

Stewartia pseudocamellia, Japanese Stewartia

Size: tree or shrub, 20-30' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: fusiform, 2-ranked, 2-3 red-brown scales, usually split at apex to expose white silky hairy inner scales

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 2-3.5" long, simple, elliptic or obovate-elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate tips, remotely crenate or srrulate, dark green in summer, red to dark red-purple in fall

Twigs: leaf scars rased, 2 short decurrent lines, one on each side of leaf scar, 2-ranked

Flowers: monoecious, white with orange anthers, 2.5", bloom in July

Fruit: hairy 5-valved capsule, 1"

Bark: exfoliates to expose layers of tan, brown, and olive in mottled patterns