Wayfaring Tree

Other Names: Wayfaring Bush

Description:

An excellent shrub for landscape use, featuring showy flat-topped clusters of creamy white flowers in spring and fruit which starts pink, changing to red and finally black in fall; very tough and adaptable, somewhat coarse-textured, will grow quite large

Ornamental Features:

Wayfaring Tree is covered in stunning creamy white flat-top flowers at the ends of the branches in mid spring. It has dark green foliage throughout the season. The large fuzzy pointy leaves turn an outstanding deep purple in the fall. The red fruits are held in abundance in spectacular clusters from late summer to late fall. The smooth gray bark is not particularly outstanding.

Landscape Attributes:

Wayfaring Tree is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Wayfaring Tree is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• Mass Planting

Plant Characteristics:

Wayfaring Tree will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments.

This species is not originally from North America.