Perhaps a Euonymus.

Dear Dottie in Charlotte,
I agree with Carol23. It sounds like _Euonymous americanus_, a native woodland shrub. It's beautiful. Common names include "strawberry bush" and "rapjack." Type in this phrase on Google for an excellent, illustrated description: floridata euonymous americanus. Floridata is and excellent online plant file.

Nope, it's not that. I have 'strawberry bush' and that's not it.
These berries are not the highlight of this shrub. They are singular,small and have a coating or sheath that peels papery.
No, the startle aspect of this shrub is the color transition from rich blue green to rose to pale pink and finishing with pure white before the leaves fall.

I was hoping ncrescue would recognize the description because of what her group does in saving valuable plant material before the land is cleared for construction.

Are there forms of euonymous that are deciduous?
I've had lots of varieties and they are all evergreen, even up North.

Dottie,
just a thought, or a guess I think, what about Highbush
blueberry?
I have one in my back woods, sounds just like your description, I will post a pic tomorrow to see if that is what it is.
Right now, the pink is showing, very pretty.
That is why I didn't cut it down, I liked the fall color.
In the spring it has pretty white flowers that look like little bells.

Are there forms of euonymous that are deciduous?

Yes, Dottie in Charlotte, _Euonymous americanus_ is deciduous.

Pic highbush blueberry
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The photos do look like some type of Vaccinium, and that group has wonderful fall color. They hybridize, which makes for difficult ID. I sent a sample of what I have here on the property to NC State, and they said it was Styrax, but I think they were wrong.

You can see from the USDA site that NC has lots of these plants. Next time it rains and you are indoors, check it out.

Here is a link that might be useful: Many types of Vaccinium

I guess I'm not describing it well enough.
Not blueberry. These berries are small,ovoid and red..bright red.
The leaves go through a progression of color until they turn white and then fall off the shrub.
The form of the shrub has normal branching habit but on each branch are twigs that terminate in a pair of leaves.
All up and down these twigs are nubbly sub-twigs that terminate in two leaves and these sub-twigs grow exactly opposite and at a 90 degree angle from the twig.
An odd form , odd terminal white coloration of the leaves.
Oh well.
Thanks all for trying.

What about Euonymus alatus?
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/eual8.htm

Well there are non-native bush honeysuckles that have opposite leaves, twiggy stems, multiple trunks, and bright red berries.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lonicera maackii

Dottie in charlotte, could it be Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb, Autumn Olive? I had one in my yard when we bought the house and it was very beautiful. The leaves have whitish scales on them. They turn a beautiful pink in the fall then drop off. The berries are oval drupes. I was very excited until I learned it is listed as an exotic invasive in NC. It is from China and had been planted everywhere by birds. Having no natural competition, it takes over woodlands. I cut mine down :( and diligently hacked away at any re-growth until it has finally given up. I am very careful not to plant exotic invasives. I know not everyone is. If you check out the NC Exotic invasives website you will be upset by some of the well loved plants on the list.

Maybe it isn't an Autumn Olive after all!

Linda

esh..berries are different. Don't think it's an eleagnus umb. either (at least I hope not).
I am leaning toward some form of euonymous because one of the larger shrubs is holding a strong red color to most of the leaves while the younger,less mature ones have dropped most of the leaves.
The berries just seem to be unidentifiable for all my googling. A berry here, a berry there..not in clusters and they have that papery outer coating that peels back to reveal the small oval berry that is persistent on the bush.

I give up but thank you all for helping me try to ID this plant.

you discounted blueberries but you do know there are a bunch of different vaccinums and some do have red berries... You might want to do the same with the vaccinums as euonymous's. It looks to me like it's one of those 2.

It wouldn't be autumn olive- it doesn't look anything like it shape or colorwise and the berries are ripe in june/july, and eaten quickly by the birds. Besides, they don't have a papery covering, and they turn bright yellow in fall.

Hope you figure it out sometime!

Perhaps Euonymus atropurpureus then.

Dear dottie in charlotte,
I don't mean to point out the obvious, but have you thought about taking a sample of this plant to your local agricultural extension office for identification? If no one there can identify it, they will send it to specialists at NCSU for identification.