Plant
- Ground cover, shrub, or small tree
- Deciduous
- Numerous species
Twig
- Opposite leaf arrangement
- One species (C. alternifolia) with alternate leaves
Leaf
- 1-6" long depending on species
- Simple, smooth-edged
- Ovate with nearly parallel veins
Leaf Bud
- Dome-shaped flower buds at stem tips
- Vegetative buds, small and slender
Flower
- Small, ¼" wide flowers surrounded by 4 large, showy bracts often mistaken for petals
- White or pink, varies by cultivar
Fruit
- ¼-½" long ovoid drupes, in clusters
- Red or blue, depending on species
