Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Idaho.

Habitat: Open to rather dense damp forests, often along streams.

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies, butterflies, beetles

Deciduous, shrub-like to stately trees, 2-20 m. tall; bark smooth, brownish, the younger bark grayish-purplish.

Leaves opposite, petioles 5-10 mm. long, the blades ovate-elliptic to obovate-elliptic, acuminate, 4-10 cm. long, soft-hairy on the underside.

Flowers numerous in hemispheric heads 1.5-2 cm. broad, subtended by conspicuous white or pinkish-tinged, elliptic to rhombic-obovate bracts 2-7 cm. long, the heads developing in the fall and beginning to flower early in the spring as the leaves expand; sepals 4, very small; petals 4, greenish-white, purplish-tipped, 2.5 mm. long; stamens 4; style 1.

Drupe bright red, 10 mm. long.