Word of the Day: Panicle

A panicle is a branched cluster of flowers. The blooms of the lilac, spiraea, hydrangea, and crape myrtle are panicles...also many grasses, including wheat and rice. Panicles often make the branch or stem top-heavy and cause it to droop.
This photograph shows panicles of the viburnum plant, common in my New England neighborhood. It blooms in early May.