Leatherwood Dirca palustris
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Leatherwood:
- Phonetic Spelling
- DIR-kah pahl-US-triss
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Leatherwood is a native deciduous shrub found in forested or natural areas in rich woods. It prefers moist, humus-rich sandy or clay soils in shade to part shade. It forms a dense, rounded form with pale green, oval-shaped leaves and blooms in early spring with small yellow bell-shaped flowers followed by drupes. It is fairly rare and not used in the landscape often as it can be hard to find. In nature, it can be found growing in very rich forests, on slopes or bottomlands, and is limited to calcareous or mafic rocks such as limestone, calcareous siltstone, calcareous shale, gabbro, or amphibolite. It can be found in Ashe County NC ascending to 1500 meters elevation.
Foliage turns yellow in fall. Long-lived and slow-growing. Pliable twigs used as cordage by Native Americans. Fruits and roots have slight toxicity; some people's skin reacts to exposure to the bark.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Dirca
- Species:
- palustris
- Family:
- Thymelaeaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Native Americans used the twigs and bark for bowstrings, baskets, fishing line and rope
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- East Canada to North Central & Eastern U.S.A
- Distribution:
- AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , ND , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV Canada: NB , NS , ON
- Wildlife Value:
- Birds and small mammals enjoy the fruits as a food source.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Description:
- Green to red drupe. In North Carolina, the yellow-green fruits are available from June to July.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Spike
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Pale yellow flowers have long yellow stamens, are bell-shaped, and up to 1/3 inch long. They are borne in axillary clusters in the early spring. In North Carolina, flowers are available from March to April.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Smooth
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Obovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 3-4 inch long leaves are yellow-green when new and mature to medium green in summer. Fall color is bright yellow.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Gray
- Bark Description:
- wrinkled gray bark, fibrous bark
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Brown jointed twigs with ring-like joints are very flexible
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Pond
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Rain Garden
- Shade Garden
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Wet Soil
- Problems:
- Contact Dermatitis
- Poisonous to Humans
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- Vomiting, diarrhea if eaten. Contact with bark may cause skin irritation with blisters lasting for a few minutes.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Resins
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- Yes
- Poison Part:
- Bark
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Roots
- Sap/Juice
- Seeds
- Stems
