Flower: Usually dioecious, white to greenish-white, male flowers in 3's. Female flowers solitary, both about 1/2 inch long. Present March to mid-June.
Fruit: A plum-like berry that is green before ripening, turning orange to black when ripe, 3/4 to 2 inches in diameter when ripe. The fruit is astringent when green,
sweet and edible when ripe. Matures September to November with frost.
Twig: Slender, light brown to gray, maybe scabrous or pubescent. Buds are dark red to black with 2 bud scales, triangular in shape. Leaf scar has one vascular
bundle trace.
Bark: Very dark, broken up into square scaly thick plates; reminiscent of charcoal briquettes.
Form: A small to medium-sized tree with a round-topped crown. In forest stands the stem may be straight, tall, and slender.
