Forestiera acuminata

It’s a bit surprising but Oklahoma doesn’t have just a huge3 number of native shrub species. This deciduous shrub in the olive family often goes by the name Swamp Privet. We changed the name up a bit but because neither Swamp or Privet are words to get excited about. Native Forestiera Shrub is an attractive fine-textured plant with its small glossy green leaves and panicles of creamy white flowers. Rarely seen in gardens, it can be grown as a large shrub or a small tree. Female forms produce fruit that is eaten by birds.