Leatherwood is a unique, interesting and well-mannered shrub that deserves a more prominent place in the home landscape.  I've had native plant connoisseurs come to me specifically for this shrub.
 
     It's a relatively tidy shrub for a woodland garden or a site with a bit of shelter from afternoon sun.  In Native Trees, Shrubs & Vines, William Cullina likens Leatherwood to a form of natural bonsai, with its “pleasantly bloated silhouette, with a swollen trunk and forking branches tapering quickly to knobby twigs, like a miniaturized oak tree.” 
 
     Its little, white summer blooms, lovely against dark-green foliage, attract butterflies, bees and beetles, and birds and small mammals feast on the olive-like fruits.
 
     In winter its twigs take on orange and red tones and are so rubbery they can be tied in a knot without breaking.
 
     Fun fact: Native Americans used the flexible and rubbery twigs to make bow strings and fishing line.
 
     1st photo: Fritz Flohr Reynolds