This unremarkable shrub of roadsides, hedgerows and laneways, is a twiggy, straggly plant which reaches over 2.5m high, forming large thickets, spreading by suckers. It produces tiny pink funnel-shaped 5-petalled flowers (4-6mm across) in short, terminal racemes from June to September. Its oval leaves are small and untoothed. In autumn it has round white berries (1.5-2cm diameter) which contain 2 seeds. This is a plant which was introduced from North America and it belongs to the family Caprifoliaceae.
I first identified this shrub in Dundrum, Co Dublin in 1952 and photographed it in Ballitore, Co Kildare in 2008.
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
