Gray Dogwood

Attributes:
A tough, low maintenance shrub with subtle year-round beauty. White panicles of flowers in June are followed by white berries when removed expose reddish pink colored stalks. These persistant stalks will remain on red into late fall and early winter providing a colorful contrast to the gray bark. The gray dogwood is easily transplanted and very adaptable under all types of growing conditions. It is good for a screen or informal hedge, border, windbreak, embankments, naturalization, at the edge of water, and poor soil areas. Birds savor the fruit.

Wildlife Value:
The gray dogwood is a forage plant for white-tailed deer. The berries appear before most other dogwoods making it popular with the birds. Over 100 bird species and squirrels eat the fruit. It forms a dense thicket providing cover and nesting sites for wildlife habitat.

History/Lore/Use:
The gray dogwood is native to the eastern and midwestern United States and southern Canada. Cornus is the latin name for dogwood, and racemosa refers to the type of compound flower arrangement (raceme). Another common name is the panicled dogwood.

Moisture:
The gray dogwood prefers moist, well drained soil, but will grow in wet or dry soil.

Leaves:
The leaves are opposite, simple, narrow-elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 2"-4" long, nearly smooth, grayish green to dark green in summer, reddish purple in fall.

Flower Color:
Creamy white, small, 1 1/2"-2" wide, flat panicles of flowers

Bloom Time:
late May to early June.

Fruit Description:
White, rarely bluish white, 1/4" berries (drupes) ripening in August into September