The common name for
leatherwood, Dirca palustris L., is due
to the twigs having the feel in both texture and pliability of a shoestring
sized strip of full grain leather. The
form is usually a single stemmed shrub up to about 2 meters tall, which is just
over 6 feet 6 inches. The growth is only
a few centimeters per year. The twigs
are significantly wider at the termination of each annual growth point thus they
can be located going back for several years. This
may be due to the yellow flowers that emerge from the cottony buds just before
the leaves. The simple entire leaves
have a pale yellowish green color and they may scorch in full sun, therefore,
this plant is best for naturalizing in full to partial shade as long as the
soil is rich and moist. Good places to
see this plant in the wild are deep in Little River Canyon, Buck’s
