flora-uk, thank you for the suggestion...the photos you've linked me to do look like the shrub in question! I just stumbled upon this house while driving so I can't say as the whether or not it had flowers but the hardiness and soil conditions would make it a likely candidate. I think a better title for my thread would be "help me find something that looks like this" as I don't really care too much about this specific shrub. I'm more or less trying to find something similar to what this looks like. If it is indeed an Amelanchier then I think its mature size is far too big for what I'm after!

Tony, I see you are also in Upland. If your tree is older like mine, it is even more likely it is a Fuerte since that was the most common commercial variety in this are until about 30 years ago. Russell? I don't think it even exists in CA. I don't think your fruit resembles pictures I have seen online for that variety anyway. Your picture is a perfect example of a 2/3 mature pyriform shaped avocado. I have found quite a few pictures online for a Fuerte that seem wrong in shape to me. Some say the shape is Pyriform, like your sample. Some say it is Obovate. Here is an example that I believe shows it correctly: http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Fuerte_Avocados_6723.php I hesitate to say that I think UCR's example for a Fuerte is incorrect. http://ucavo.ucr.edu/AvocadoVarieties/VarietyFrame.html#Anchor-47857 That is a link to the Variety List. You will have to choose Fuerte on the list. Can they really have it wrong?

I'm w/ Mike on this from the flower description. Ceropegia woodii blooms are small white, pink or lt. purple rather phallic-looking blooms (excuse me, but they are); I've had them bloom in white (slightly smaller than an inch long) & have seen the lt. pink/purple blooms on the varigated version, but never seen red Ceropegia blooms. I'd agree abt Dischidia, maybe searching for blooming Dischidia images would show it, but from the description, color & size as well it sounds like it. I've seen blooming Dischidias in both white (D. picta I think) & red, maybe D. phillipenses. Also, the mention of the inflated leaf, golf ball size is something I've read happens in some Dischidias, those I believe are sometimes referred to as Ant Plants. Actually there's a Hoya Forum post that shows the small red bloom, I'll check & if I find it I'll post back.

reminds me of the hundreds of prunus serrotina i have in my yard ...i call it a wild or furniture cherry ... rather than a fruit or fancy flower cherry ... bird sown ... i dont really know what the hurry is... for removal ... wait until it leafs out ... ken