silky dogwood

Family

Cornaceae

Scientific Name

Cornus amomum

Leaves

Silky dogwood has a brown pith in 1-2 year old stems, dark green ovate leaves

Identifying Characteristics

Silky dogwood is a large shrub, often 6-10 feet in height. The growth habit is upright rounded, but where stems are in contact with the ground, roots are formed. This behavior creates thickets. Young dogwoods have bright red stems in the fall, winter and early spring, which turn reddish-brown in the summer. As the shrub matures, the stems turn reddish-brown year-round and later gray. Silky and redosier dogwood, though very similar, can be distinguished by their pith and fruit color.Redosier dogwood has a white pith, dark green ovate leaves, white flowers, and whitish colored fruit. There are approximately 12,000 seeds per pound.

Flower Seed Head

yellowish-white flowers which bloom in mid-June

Seed Fruit

bluish colored fruit which matures in September.

Where Found

Silky dogwood is adapted from Michigan and Wisconsin to Maine and south to Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee. It has done exceptionally well in the Lake states, but poorly outside it s natural range. It performs best in soils that are moist, somewhat poorly drained, moderately acidic to neutral, and in areas that have medium to coarse soils. It is highly tolerant of shade but not of droughty conditions

Life Cycle

perennial

Plant Type

Tree