Dirca palustris L.

Eastern Leatherwood; Wicopee; Rope Bark

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Eastern Leatherwood is a native deciduous shrub in the Mezereum family (Thymelaeaceae). It can be found in scattered locations throughout most of Alabama. Eastern Leatherwood occurs in hardwood forests along streams, on calcareous slopes, in ravines, and on steep river banks. It is a shrub or small tree reaching 9 feet in height but more commonly 3-6 feet. The bark is smooth and tan to gray in color. The bark is tough and flexible and was once used for ropes and baskets. Leaves are petiolate, alternate, obovate to ovate in outline, entire, and glabrous. The leaves turn yellow before dropping in the autumn. Flowers are produced in pendent racemes before or with the emergence of the leaves. The flowers are subtended by large leaf-like pubescent bracts. The flowers are tubular, yellow green in color, unlobed with undulate margins or with 4-5 shallow lobes. The stamens and stigma are exserted beyond the corolla. The fruit is an ovoid drupe, green in color changing to red as it dries. Eastern Leatherwood can cause contact dermatitis in some people. The fruit are mildly poisonous to mammals but are eaten by birds. Eastern Leatherwood is available from some native plant nurseries. It prefers a partially shaded location with rich, moist soil. Full sun can damage the foliage.—A. Diamond

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Native FACU- (NWPL)

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