I saw this shrub while hiking after a windstorm. A tree had fallen and broken off some of the shrub's branches. This was in late fall, so the shrub had no leaves to speak of. The wood is dense and hard, much more so than alder or maple. The shrub basically grew as a cluster of (branches, shoots?) straight up into the air, with very few smaller shoots growing out from the main ones. There were also several of the same shrub growing around in the immediate area. Here are some pictures of the bark (I will get pics of the shrub next time I am in the area)
Those large lenticels have got to be a clue to this shrub's identity. Could it be a sp of cherry? Tend to have these, and wood is fairly hard. Is there yellow inner bark? (The dreaded buckthorn.)
May be Prunus emarginata? E-Flora BC says: "bark reddish-brown or grey, with horizontal lenticels" and "Habitat: Moist open forests, thickets, rocky slopes and streambanks in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common in southwestern BC " Growth habit also fits the description: http://www.sevenoaksnativenursery.com/native-plants/shrubs/prunus-emarginata/
Yes, vertical stems with lenticels would fit bitter cherry. I first read the depiction provided by the original poster as indicating an open habit.
Thanks for the expertise guys, it's appreciated. The area I found it in fits the description given for bitter cherry pretty much exactly; it was an open hillside with a few maples and some underbrush providing a very moist, thick layer of leaves on the ground. Next time I'm on that path I'll get a picture of the shrub.
