Compare to Viburnum prunifolium or Viburnum rufidulum.

Sorry there are too many and they are too similar. Regards Chris

Hi Carol! Those pictures of the pokeweed look great. The contrast between it and the other variegated plants makes for a nice grouping. Do your neighbors know its a pokeWEED? My neighbors would probably smile nicely and then walk away and talk about all the weeds I have later. I would love seeds though. I think you know I have a weakness for variegated plants. Thanks for the suggestions and I'm sorry I didn't give enough info about the location. It's going to sound stupid, but I'm not totally sure if it is a moist area or not.... I've only been here since late June and there's been enough rain to keep all areas well watered. But I THINK it's a moist area. It seems the solid shale construction fill that sits just a few inches below the clayish topsoil fill of my yard(my soil needs help)funnels alot of the rain towards this area. There's some Jewelweed nearby but not in this particular area, so I think it's borderline moist. I do have some goldenrod that seeded in and I think I'll keep it(but keep an eye on it)... and I also like the culvers root and coneflowers... I think my biggest concern is that the plants will be able to hold their own against the pokeweed and goldenrod. But I will be watching, and I think I can coddle the cardinal flower a bunch since I always wanted to have a spot of it! I'm going to try and take a few pictures so you can see what's growing there now and get a feel for the area (its a fairly small area actually)and hopefully keep me from ripping out anything that I should keep. But.. it might be a few days before I get the pictures (painting rooms, company is coming Friday and there's a christening Sunday!) so don't give up on me. Oh and it's mostly an eastern exposure Sue! It should be a perfect spot for alot of things, right? Wait until you see the pictures. It is a mess right now with the invasives and I'm in coal country, so none of this ground is undisturbed, but I think I can make it a little more productive for wildlife!

Natural mulch: leaf litter from the surrounding trees It's free. You don't have to go somewhere to get it and haul it back. It never runs out. It won't contain alien organisms. It will affect the soil chemistry, allelopathic interactions, and microfauna in a way consistent with the rest of your woodland. It will look consistent with the rest of your woodland. It will be guaranteed to perform its ecological functions (absorb water, retain moisture, moderate temperature, harbor beneficial insects and other wildlife) in ways that are expected and appreciated by your native plants. By divesting from mass-produced, commercial mulch, you're "voting with your wallet" for better practices in the horticultural industry and horticulture in general. In our area, the leaf litter is mostly "pine straw". It looks great and works its magic.