Climbing or sprawling woody stems. Plant foul-smelling. Leaves egg-shaped entire or with 1 lobe to each side, 1–3 in. long, short-haired or hairless, alternate. Inflorescence is a loose cluster on a leafless stalk. Flowers violet-blue; 5 petals fused halfway form tube, petal tips reflexed backward; 5 stamens joined form bright yellow central cone with pistil extended. Berries bright red. Often found in shrubby thickets at edges of wetlands or ponds, also in forest openings, orchards, gardens, roadsides, at low elevations. Leaves and berries poisonous if eaten.
- Rarity: Common
- Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Height: 3--9 feet
- Habitat: Meadow, West-Side Forest, Bog/Fen/Wetland, Disturbed
- Found In: West Gorge, East Gorge, Olympic Np, N Cascades Np
- Native: No