stiff dogwood
Family
CornaceaeScientific Name
Cornus foeminaOther Common Names:
swamp dogwood
Synonyms (former Scientific Names):
Swida foemina
Swida stricta
Cornus stricta
Leaves
The plant s leaves are opposite and oval-shaped, with smooth margins.
Identifying Characteristics
Cornus foemina P. Mill., swamp dogwood, is primarily found along the coastal plain from eastern Virginia to central Florida, west to Louisiana and north to southeastern Missouri. It is a deciduous small tree to large shrub, growing to 15 ft in height, with multiple trunks, 4 inches in diameter. Its bark is thick and smooth, frequently furrowed with shallow ridges exposing gray inner bark
Flower Seed Head
Flowers are creamy white, loose, and small; they occur in flat topped clusters without showy bracts
Seed Fruit
Fruits are small, open clusters of bluish to purple drupes (fleshy, one-seeded fruits).
Where Found
Swamp dogwood generally grows in swampy, low wetland habitats, barrier islands, and along streams, riverbanks, marshes and creeks. It is found growing along ditches on the second road back from the ocean at Emerald Isle and found to exhibit moderate salt tolerance.
Swamp dogwood is distributed throughout most of the southeast United States.
Life Cycle
perennial
Plant Type
Tree