I am trying to identify a plant that grows on my property.?

I call it a shrub. It has lance-shaped leafs with smooth edges and opposite veins. The leaves are dark green.





It produces elongated spiky clusters of small whitish flowers. The flowers turn into elongated clusters of small bright green pre-fruits that kind of resemble the small decorative roundish/ridged squashes/gourds that you buy for halloween/thanksgiving displays.


These pre-fruits turn into fleshy, round, smooth berries that are a dark reddish-purple in color, one berry per spike on this elongated cluster 3-5 inches long. Quite spectacular-looking.





The deer love it. Here's the kicker: the stem is woody, but hollow.





I'm not certain if it's native or introduced. I saw one growing under sumacs in my back yard, and one started growing in an open former garden enclosure and has become almost tree-like, 6-7 feet tall and covering an area about six feet in diameter.

I am trying to identify a plant that grows on my property.?
Take a cutting to your local college/university extension office and they will in most cases be eager to identify your plant.
Reply:The hollow part tempts me to say it is a Elderberry? Also that deer love it. Elderberry comes in red and purple berry varieties and is great food for migratory birds as well.
Reply:Call the CO- OP extension for your area.They should be able to "ID" it.
Reply:Send me some seeds!!
Reply:take a piece of your plant to a greenhouse.here ace hardware has a encyclopedia of plants that help you identify plants.there is probably a site on the internet that could help you.