Without a picture, it's a bit difficult but it sounds like it may be a White Mulberry (Morus Alba). If so, then there's no need to worry about your dog...as a matter of fact, you can eat them too. They can be a bit bland and overly sweet though. I hope that helps. There's nothing worse than seeing your child or dog chowing down on something that you can't identify.

The purple flowers and a berry with 1 seed/pit does not sound like a mulberry. The mulberry berry is actually a group of smaller individual fruits - I forget the botanical name for this at the moment. I have a couple of mature mulberries and can say that the flowers are not noticeable and the berries have many tiny seeds.

Perhaps something in the prunus family. I included the wikipedia link to the prunus entry. Or you could try the cornus family. And pictures would help lots with regards to identification.

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: Wikipedia - Prunus spp.

Could you tell us where you live (generally)?

Sorry, I live in Los Angeles--so very hot, very dry, essentially no winter. The berries do resemble cherries, and hang on the branches as such, not like Cornus, so I've been looking up prunus species, but most of them don't grow more than 20 feet it looks like--these trees are about 40 feet tall. Also, cherry and laurel leaves are darker green and smoother-edged--these leaves are very pale and finely toothed around all the edges.

Does anyone know of any other white berried trees? Other than snowberry (which this isn't) I can't seem to find any.

There are several rowans with white fruit - this one is Sorbus glabrescens. Does yours look anything like this?

{{gwi:338140}}

Resin

Hmmm, no, can't be that, as rowans have white, not pale purple, flowers. Somehow missed that when I was reading the description!

Resin

How about Melia azedarach?

Resin

Here is a link that might be useful: Melia azedarach Pics

I thought of that one right off, but it doesn't fit all of the profile. However, maybe that's it anyway. Wouldn't be the first time the way a tree being asked about was described didn't quite fit what it turned out to be.

Try a good independent garden center or the Los Angeles State and County Arboretum.

Well, I looked up Melia and most of what I found does fit my trees. I'm hoping it's not chinaberry, since that's poisonous and I haven't been able to stop the dog from eating berries every chance she gets, but here's what works from chinaberry pics I've found, and what doesn't:

The berries do hang on the branches individually like this:

{{gwi:338141}}

but they don't clump together or hang heavy like this:

{{gwi:338142}}

Also, the leaves on my trees seem longer, paler, and moderately more feathery than the chinaberry leaves, though that could simply be age of the tree, etc.

I'm going to have to chop off a branch and bring it someone to confirm, since if it's poisonous that's going to be a problem, but are there perhaps relatives of the chinaberry that aren't poisonous? Thanks so much for all the help!

If it looks like that one, then it will almost surely be that one. Ask a well-informed vet (I like the one I used to go to when I had a dog but I wasn't impressed that they had never heard of the connection between lymphoma in dogs - which came up because they were seeing an abundance of cases - and lawn and garden herbicide use) about the dog, unless it is slowly being poisoned maybe there is not a problem.

Yes, it sounds exactly like a Chinaberry tree.

I wish I was on this site when this was posted. I have had a really hard time with this tree, which my husband used to love because of the shade and fairytale quality of it. HOWEVER, it is a pest and very dangerous. If you have pets and children you really have to be vigilant, because it is so poisonous. I have grown to hate this tree. You can't plant much because it shades everything and takes over. I forgot to mention the roots. I have tile floors on a slab foundation ( common in SoCal). I have a crack running across the patio, through the family room, through the garage, through the driveway to the street. I HATE this tree. Yes, it is lovely. No, you don't want one.

{{gwi:338143}}

Ah, so that's a Chinaberry tree!

My good friend - with two young children and an old dog - has one of these messy things in his backyard. He prunes it Hard - and I mean *hard* - and it still fills right back in! It's full of rats, too.

Josh