Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to southwestern Oregon; native from southern Great Plains to eastern North America.

Habitat: Open swamps, sandy margins of ponds and lakes.

Flowers: May-June

Origin: Introduced from central and eastern North Amercia

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees, bees

Deciduous shrubs, the stems 10-50 dm. tall; twigs green, angular to terete, hairy in lines.

Leaves alternate, the blades dark green, ovate to narrowly elliptic, 15-70 mm. long and 10-25 mm. wide, entire to sharply serrate, usually glabrous, somewhat leathery.

Inflorescences axillary or terminal, 2- to 10-flowered racemes; calyx 5-lobed, green, glabrous; corolla white to pink, cylindric, 5-12 mm. long, 5-lobed; stamens 10, the filaments with hairs on the margins; anthers opening by pores; ovary inferior.

Berries dull black to blue, 4-12 mm. in diameter, glabrous and glaucous.