Virginia Tech Dendrology

minniebush Ericaceae Menziesia pilosa (Michx. ex Lam.) Juss. ex Pers. symbol: MEPI2
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, pinnately veined, obovate to elliptical, 1 1/2 to 4 inches long, dark green above and paler below, margin finely ciliate and entire, coarse pubescent above, below, and on the petiole, with a uniquely white tip.
Flower: Urn-shaped, 1/4 inch, yellow to orange-pink, borne in few-flowered clusters appearing May to July.
Fruit: An oblong woody capsule, coarse pubescent, 1/4 inch long, splits into 4 segments when mature, mid to late summer.
Twig: Slender, reddish brown, coarsely pubescent, buds occur in clusters at ends of twigs.
Bark: Red-brown to gray-brown, thin, becomes shreddy.
Form: Upright shrub that may reach 6 feet tall. Twigs often appear in whorls from central stem.
Looks like: mountain pieris - pink azalea

Additional Range Information: Menziesia pilosa is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information