A familiar genus in cultivation, especially in hedges, the principal taxon being a variety of S. albus. The white fruits in the fall make this species attractive to human eyes and to hungry birds and mammals. Even mature first-year stems can show the distinctly hollow pith characteristic of our common species.

1. Corolla ca. 3-4 mm long; fruit red to purple; pith usually ± uniform (dense or loose but continuous or even absent); flowers in dense axillary clusters of 6-12 or more per node).

S. orbiculatus

1. Corolla ca. (4.5-) 5-9 mm long; fruit white; pith of twigs hollow between the nodes; flowers various.

2. Stamens and style included in the corolla; anthers ca. 1-1.5 mm long; corolla ca. (4.5-) 5-6 (-6.5) mm long; flowers when axillary 1 (-3) per axil (more when terminal as the case sometimes in var. laevigatus).

S. albus

2. Stamens and style exserted at maturity; anthers 1.7-2.4 mm long; corolla ca. (5-) 6-9 (-11) mm long; flowers mostly 6 or more in axillary (and terminal) spikes.

S. occidentalis