Leatherwood

Moosewood, or Wicopy, a North American shrub. It grows in rich, moist woods from New Brunswick to Minnesota and southward to the gulf. It is a much branched bush from two to five feet in height. The wood is soft and flexible. The bark is the toughest in the northern woods. It was much used by the Indians for thongs. Light yellow flowers precede the leaves and are followed in season by reddish oval drupes. The leaves are described by the botanist as alternate, flexible, obovate, and entire. A species of leatherwood is found also in California.