SOME NATIVE SHRUBS AND THEIR USES. 159 



frosts occasionally, to the detriment of the otherwise profuse crop 

 of red, showy berries, which ripen in June. The Common Elder 

 blooms during the summer and fall months, and its immense 

 bunches of shiny black berries can often be seen, together with 

 late flowers, at the same time and on the same bush. 



Probably the most conspicuous and popular ornamental 

 shrub when in fruit is the Wahoo, or Burning Bush. In fact, it 

 is so attratcive that it is just as apt to be torn to pieces for its 

 fruit as the Lilac bush for its flowers, by children or by thought- 

 less and ignorant grown-ups. The brilliant hue it attains in the 

 fall is responsible for its name. 



The Buffalo Berry also is of a striking appearance with its 

 fine silvery foliage and its numerous small, orange-colored, edible, 

 but rather acid, fruit. So is the Black Alder, Winterberry, or 

 Deciduous Holly, with its load of orange red berries. Their flow- 

 ers are inconspicuous. 



Among shrubs that are handsome, both when in flower and 

 in fruit, is the Hawthorn, or Thorn Apple, with its abundance 

 of decorative fruit, which is mostly red ; but a yellow fruited one 

 is fairly common in this vicinity. 



The Juneberry, with its snow white blossoms, silvery young 

 foliage and edible fruit, blooms at the same time as some of our 

 small flowering trees, like the Sand Cherry, Choke Cherry, Black 

 Cherry, Pin Cherry and the Wild Plum. The Wild Crab is 

 somewhat later. 



Two of the best shrubs, comparatively little known, are the 

 Black Choke Cherry and the Red Choke Cherry. They have very 

 pretty flowers and red or black berries, respectively. Both would 

 be worthy of the name "burning bush," with regard to their fall 

 coloring. 



Two summer flowering shrubs are the white flowering 

 Meadowsweet and the pink flowering Hardhack, the latter being 

 particularly desirable on account of its pink flowers, most of the 

 wild shrubs blooming white. 



A valuable shrub for general planting is the Prickly Ash, 

 with its graceful shiny leaves and its spicy-smelling decorative 

 seed. It is, next to the above mentioned Hawthorn, one of our 

 best defensive hedge plants. 



The common Staghorn Sumac, that lights up our country- 

 side as with fire in the fall months, is too well known to need 

 description. 



