Walking along Towson Run in November, the woods are dotted with bright red leaves, bushes about five feet tall. The leaves are elliptical with pointed ends, opposite and on corky twigs. My guess is that this is the more invasive form of Burning Bush. There is a cultivated example at the corner of Cloverlea and Rolandvue. The wings on the twigs were not obvious but these disappear apparently as the bush ages. (alatus is "wing")
Popular as an ornamental, the sale of the plant is prohibited in areas of New England due to invasive tendencies, making the ID more likely. The red-orange berries hang down below their dark capsule. Nothing in the foraging manuals about the berries, but no notes as to being poisonous either. The plant was used in Chinese medicine. The leaves are dark green in the spring and summer, with small yellow flowers in the Spring.
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