What is this 15 Foot Bush and When to Prune it?

[Jbitter]

Anyone know what this is and when to prune it? It is giagantic

[applestar]

It would be helpful if you were a wee bit more specific.
- where are you located
- what can you tell us - what do you know about this plant. How big is “gigantic” in measurable terms?

— How do you want to prune it — make it smaller? more like a tree? are you concerned about flowering time?


That said, it looks a bit like my Alternating-leaf Dogwood except yours has opposite-leaves, which is actually the more common growth habit. Mine has some green fruits on similar looking trusses right now as well (but that doesn’t mean anything if your location is not comparable to mine).

[Jbitter]

Hi sorry for lack of details
I am in Ohio. It is probable 15ft tall.
I do not know much about it but it has never flowered and grows fairly fast, like a lilac bush.
I have cut it back in years past but this year decided to let it grow.
I would like to cut it back so smaller but thought I should try and figure out what it is first

It would be helpful if you were a wee bit more specific.
- where are you located
- what can you tell us - what do you know about this plant. How big is “gigantic” in measurable terms?

— How do you want to prune it — make it smaller? more like a tree? are you concerned about flowering time?


That said, it looks a bit like my Alternating-leaf Dogwood except yours has opposite-leaves, which is actually the more common growth habit. Mine has some green fruits on similar looking trusses right now as well (but that doesn’t mean anything if your location is not comparable to mine).

[applestar]

Thanks for replying. Well, the fact that it has those fruit trusses means it did bloom in umbels - if like mine then sometime in early summer (like June or so). It would have attracted bees and wasps, butterflies, etc.

edit — I thought it was in June but I have a photo of it in full bloom from May 17

15 ft sounds about right.

BUT we know it’s not C. alternifolia since the leaves are not alternating.


Take a look at this page and see if any of these native dogwoods look like yours. (Ah ha! and I see those fruit clusters are called “drupes”)

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center | Dogwood Family
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/searc ... earch=true

[!potatoes!]

the leaves look more viburnum than dogwood to my eyes. maybe arrowwood?

[applestar]

I thought of that !potatoes! but my arrowwood which is right next to the alternating leaf dogwood doesn’t look like the op’s… And the arrowwood’s fruits are all gone while the dogwood still has some? But that may not be an indication in this case.

But you have better eyes for this than I do. And if arrowwood, opposite leaves is a characteristic. FWIW — in my photo above, the larger leaves to the right and bottom right corner are the arrowwood leaves.

[!potatoes!]

for me some of the big things that stand out on dogwoods are the mostly opposite branching in the venation pattern on each leaf, as well as being a simple, not toothed leaf. neither of those are showing in the OP, though they are in your pics of alternate-leafed dogwood. the leaves in the OP suggest hazel or viburnum, though the obvious umbels would rule out hazels. there are a lot of viburnums, though…