Forestiera acuminata, commonly known as eastern swamp privet, is a deciduous shrub or small tree that is native to the southeastern and central United States, growing primarily in or near wetlands. It is especially common along the Mississippi Valley as far north as Illinois and Indiana, but found also across the South from eastern Texas to South Carolina.
Forestiera acuminata is a deciduous Shrub growing to 3 m (9ft 10in). It is in flower from March to April, and the seeds ripen in July. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant).
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.Forestiera acuminata is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 3.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.Eastern swamp privet is often shrubby in the wild, but can be grown as a small tree, 25-35 ft. tall. Glossy-green, pointed-oval leaves are arranged in pairs on bright green, new twigs. Older branches are ivory-gray and the trunk has smooth, brownish bark, often covered with lichens and liverworts. Yellow flowers, most showy on male plants, occur in small, axillary clusters on the previous season growth before new leaves develop. The fruit, on female plants is a purple-black, olive-like drupe.
