Photinia serratifolia

An evergreen shrub or small tree native from central and southern China to the southern Japanese islands and the Philippines, it belongs to the Rosaceae family. Its alternate, leathery leaves have toothed margins and mature from reddish or bronze tones to dark green. Small, five-petaled white flowers grow in flattened terminal clusters and have a strong scent that some people find unpleasant. The rounded fruits are pomes that ripen from green to red and eventually brownish purple. Birds feed on the fruits. It has escaped cultivation and become naturalized in parts of the southern United States. It can be propagated by stem cuttings. Photographed in Bogotá, Colombia.