Question: Am hoping you can id this shrub with not a lot of info. It's growing in S. RI in a …
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Question
Am hoping you can id this shrub with not a lot of info. It's growing in S. RI in a shady, very wet area with clethra and red maples. It's size is similar to clethra; the youngest wood is red. These buds were more red a month ago than they are now. There are dried flowers from last year that are in a group. If it helps, I can get a picture of the spent flowers as well.
Answer
Dear ganders, thank you for your question. The shrub you have photographed is Eubotrys racemosa (swamp deciduous dog-laurel), a native member of the heath family that is related to bog-rosemary and maleberry. The large red winter buds all loosely directed to the same side of the branch are tell-tale signs of this species.
