I used a tree identification app and thought that this tree mostly resembled a California Wax Myrtle or a Lotebush, but neither seems to be exactly right. The wax myrtle appears to have larger leaves and the lotebush has spines that my tree doesn't have. The birds love to eat these oblong blue berries/pods though.

Could you post closeup photos of the leaves and fruit (clear and not back lit), the entire plant and trunk. How big is the plant? How big are the leaves?

Thank you!

Maybe some kind of Viburnum. The fruit reminds me of one that grows here.

Thank you! The bush/tree is about 12-ish feet high. The leaves are about 1cm-1.5cm in length

I think it is a nice specimen of Myrtus communis, true myrtle.

True Myrtle might be it! The pictures look pretty much exactly like it, but the leaves of true myrtle are larger than that of my tree/bush. They are listed as being 2-5 cm while mine are uniformly within 1-1.5 cm. Is there a similar myrtle with smaller leaves?

alienplantslime said:True Myrtle might be it! The pictures look pretty much exactly like it, but the leaves of true myrtle are larger than that of my tree/bush. They are listed as being 2-5 cm while mine are uniformly within 1-1.5 cm. Is there a similar myrtle with smaller leaves?

There are several varieties of M. communis and I don't consider myself an expert on the species. I know some have smaller leaves (compacta) but I don't know if the plant will grow as large as yours. There is also a variety called twisted myrtle which can get large but the foliage is arranged in a distinctive spiral pattern. On the campus of UC Davis there is a beautiful twisted myrtle that is a medium sized tree.

According to Wikipedia there are 2 other species but I know nothing about them.

What ever yours is, it is very nice.

I appreciate your help KellyFW, Wildflowers, and Daisyl! The shrub used to be a lot more full, but the bottom was trimmed because it was getting out of hand! I've taken a particular interest in finding out what it is because of all the birds that have been swarming it recently. The bluebirds shake the berries loose and then this little squirt munches what falls on the ground

The bird looks like a Pine Siskin maybe.

Here, when we get large flocks coming in to eat tree fruits they are usually cedar waxwings and robins.

Kelly, I think you're correct on both the tree and the bird.

Could the bird be a yellow rumped warbler? I see they do go to some parts of CA for the winter.

I do have several types of Warbler here for the winter. They're too shy for photos though.