Trees of Alabama and the Southeast Home Page

Leaves are simple, alternate, tardily deciduous, leathery, and smooth. Leaves are elliptical to oblanceolate with mostly invisible lateral veins.  In contrast, lateral veins are evident in Cyrilla.  Twigs are smooth with chestnut brown buds, shield-shaped leaf scars and one bundle scar. Bark is mottled brown and smooth. White flowers are stalked on the tip of branches forming fragrant racemes. Buckwheat-tree is named after the buckwheat-looking fruit, which is a 2-5 winged drupe.  Buckwheat-tree is a shrub or small tree that may form dense stands in swamps and along streams and rivers in the southeast Coastal Plain. Intolerant of shade.  Deer browse the foliage and bees visit the flowers.

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All text and photographs are intended for educational purposes only and are not for commercial use in any form.  All photographs are copyrighted by the named photographer(s), text copyright by Lisa Samuelson. © 2005, all rights reserved. Photographs by Mike Hogan.