The fruits are round and quite flat, each with a single seed in the center. It is a smallish tree with thorny branches and edible black fruits. Roughleaf Dogwood does indeed have very rough leaves. The flowers are small and not very showy. Both are medium to large shrubs with grayish bark and dark green leaves.
Hollies are dioecious , meaning that there are male and female plants.
Both sexes have tiny white flowers in the spring, but only the females wear the bright red berries in the fall and winter.