Hercules Club

Description

Large, few-stemmed shrub or small tree with stout, coarse branches forming an obovate outline, reaching 10' to 20' in height, although it can attain 30' to 40'; often renews itself by developing shoots from the base and forms a dense thicket of impenetrable branches. Foliage medium to dark green, sometimes lustrous, changing to subdued yellow-green and yellow. Flowers whitish, produced from July to August in 12" to 18" diameter umbellose-panicles at the ends of branches, flowers lasting for a long time. Fruit a purple-black, 1/4" long drupe, produced in great quantity in August into October, usually eaten by birds or falling soon after ripening; the infructescence turns pinkish-red and is attractive for several months in late summer through early fall. Bark gray-straw colored, glabrous, with prickles, leaf scars fully half encircling the stem.