Oemleria cerasiformis

Osoberry is a fast-growing, multi-stemmed shrub to small tree with purplish-brown bark. In open sunny locations it may form a dense shrub, while in the shade it becomes more open to sprawling. This is one of our first native shrubs to leaf and flower in the spring, providing an important early nectar source for pollinators.

In the early spring, female plants produce attractive, dangling clumps of whitish flowers. These are followed by small hard fruit. A favorite of birds (and technically edible, but bitter for people), the fruit is peach-colored early in the season and matures to blue-black.

Note: all plants are dormant at the time of the plant sale, so we are unable to determine gender.