'Compactum' is a dwarf selection of the species, growing with a rounded, mounded, dense habit to about 5 feet tall and wide. It has good flowering and fruiting production, with white May to June flowers being held in flat clusters, and followed by berries that ripen to bright red throughout the summer and fall. Leaves are a dark green and lobed (usually three, though sometime five) and just slightly hairy. Fall color is reddish, though early freezes can lead to less dramatic results. Useful in the shrub or foundation border, sites with compacted or poor soils, and commercial and parking lot spaces. 'Nanum' is an even smaller selection, growing to about 2 feet tall and slightly wider.
Grow in well drained soil, preferably of a loamy nature, in full sun to partial shade. While adaptive to a variety of soil types, best growth occurs in fertile sandy-loam or clay-loam soils. Tolerant of alkaline soils. Occasional and selective pruning of oldest wood will keep the shrub compact, densely leafed, and tidy; shearing makes it very twiggy (see Guides).