Dome-shaped clusters of small white flowers May-July give way to clusters of small white berries on short red stalks. Distinctive red flower stems contrast with the white berries. Young branches and twigs are brown to red; older branches are gray. Green leaves turn dusky burgundy in fall. Handsome in fall and winter. A thicket forming shrub that will produce large colonies.
Native Plant Database
Header Photo: Mervin Wallace
Gray Dogwood
Cornus racemosa
Plant Type: Shrubs
Native Environment: Savanna / Woodland
Season of Interest: Mid (May - June), Late (July - frost), Winter (Nov - Mar)
Main Color: Red, White
Fall Color:
Hardy From Zone:
Hardy To Zone:
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Hardiness Zones
as defined by the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; (hardiness zones are not recorded for all Grow Native! plants)
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Medium Sun/Average Shade, Shade
Soil
Moisture
Dry, Moderate
Nature Attracting
Wildlife Benefit
Cover, Nesting, Food/Birds
Animal
Resistance
Size
Height:
10 to
15
feet
Spread:
10 to
15
feet
Size
Height: 10 to
15
feet
Spread: 10 to
15
feet
Size
Height: 10 to
15
feet
Spread: 10 to
15
feet
Typical Landscape Use
Use in hedgerows, for naturalizing and along streams and ponds. Good source of food, cover and nesting sites for many birds.
Establishment and Care Instructions
Grows best in moist, well-drained soil but adapts to almost any soil condition. Will spread to form thickets if root suckers are not removed.
Special Features
Special Usage
Basic Description
Where Should I Start?
Check out the Grow Native! Committee’s Top Ten picks of native plants for a particular purpose.
What’s the Next Step?
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Where Can I Find This Plant in Nature?
Learn about the Native Environment(s) inhabited by the plants in this database.