ID Red Berry Plant Please!

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by Jewel, Aug 28, 2008.

  1. Jewel

    Jewel Member

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    Thanks in advance for your effort(s). Once again, I am stump on another red-berry plant growing w/in 150ft of my home.

    Stats:

    Zone 5 (pretty cold area in Northeast U.S.)

    Under story shrub, approximately 2.5 ft tall, growing on a very large rock.

    General Growing Area: Dapper sun filtering through tall hardwoods, ground on the moist side, only, well-drain.

    Flowering: Missed the flowering completely. Must have flowered and berried really fast. Approximately 1 1/2 mos ago, my hubby came across it. Showed it to me (Absolutely no indication then of its potential for flowering much less berrying. Since the stems have the appearance of being jointed much close to bamboo, we settled on J. Knotweed. In panick, I reminded him a few days ago to get rid of it. Very surprised when we were greeted to hundred of berries. Knotweed eliminated, plus, now I know the leaves just don't match.


    Berries: Most berries are red (deep red) with some still in their green state. Small tip at bottom of berry... not much clue there I suppose. Lots of seeds within. Smells spicy. To me, close to anise scented. To hubby, more on the citrus side.

    - Long berry stem coming from section where leaves meet stem, and in some instances, the berry clumps extend erect above the plant. Prolific producer.

    Leaf: Wide / broad / large elongating at tip.

    Appear deciduous, only, not sure. Only since the beginning of this year have we had the opportunity to watch some of the plants going through their motions... from flowering to producing. Too many, we miss a lot of action.

    My combination of search terms failed to bring up a match. Thank so much. I will look out for any responses and try my very best to answer any follow-up questions even if I need to take more photos.

    Yvonne
     

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  2. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Can you get a larger, sharper pic of the fruit clusters?
     
  3. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Looks like a species of Aralia. Maybe there is one native to your vicinity and this is an example of it. Check web pages, guidebooks, manuals, university herbaria or other sources of information about plants seen growing wild in your area.
     
  4. Jewel

    Jewel Member

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    Re: ID Red Berry Plant Please! -- Many Thanks

    WoooHooo, It's A Native!

    Thx Michael F, I chased it down with Ron B's lead (Many thx Ron). It's definately the Aralia Cordata (American Spikenard). Seems they are in the "scarce" category around here. Went back after posting my initial thread and noticed that there were older stems lying beneath the plant. Thing is, just before I went back, my husband and I were picking a few wild ginseng seeds and sticking them in the ground close to the parent plant. And, the individual berry stems amongst the Spikenard's berry clumps do flower out as that of the seng's.

    Very close shave as had it not been for the berries appearing, prompting us to look further than the knotweed, we would have removed it. I am so excited in having another native understory plant identified.

    Love the Natives... will have to move one of the smaller plant below the parent to my shade garden.

    You guys are good... 2 for 2. Once again, thanks, Yvonne
     
  5. StillMarz

    StillMarz Member

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    I love this board! I'm up in the woods of Western Maine on vacation (live in zone 5 Ohio) and came online to try to ID a plant that I keep walking past and on my first click on this board there's Yvonne with pictures of the very plant.
    Thanks all.
     
  6. Jewel

    Jewel Member

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    StillMarz __ Grinning ear to ear, I do love this board also. Members' responses are quick and right on.

    As a fellow Woods' Lover myself, it is so nice to see your post. I am on a trek to identify all the understory plants on my 31-acre Wooded track. No invasives so far and since we have only used it for hiking over the years, this is the first year we have had to see a few of the plants going through their stages... from blooming to seeding.

    We missed it each time we drove back to the city that we cleared the tiniest of area for house and yard, and moved in late last year. So glad you can enjoy the Woods and great choice for Vacation!
     
  7. StillMarz

    StillMarz Member

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    Yvonne,

    I'm so jealous! Will you live there year-round now? This is my second year coming here (http://sandpondcabin.com/) I meant to stop and pick up a 'Trees of Maine' and 'Wildflowers of Maine' book before we got here but alas- I forgot. Now I'm online doing searches-lucky that I have internet access to help me in my quest. I love love love going to different parts of the country seeing the different flora & fauna. I only wish mother nature had thought to label everything only because there's just not enough time.
    The woods here are filled with hemlock and white pine and the ground is covered with wintergreen and ground pine and the variety of lichen and mosses..... love it.
     

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