May 11, 2004
Jetbead (Rhodotypos scandens)
People frequently ask the identity of a small grove of 3- to 5-foot shrubs growing near the end of the Beech Path closest to Black's Nook. The Cambridge Plant and Garden Club planted these jetbead bushes many years ago.

Jetbead is a member of the rose family (Rosaceae) that was introduced from Central China, Korea and Japan in 1866. It is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub that flowers in the spring, producing attractive clusters of white, four-petaled one inch flowers. Each flower produces a cluster of four black seeds, some of which persist over the winter.