This tree can be trained (as any good dog can be!) into a nice specimen small tree, or left as a multi-stemmed shrub. Very tough and resilient! Flat clusters of tiny white flowers are blooming by late spring. The foliage is a medium green and rough to the touch, turning a beautiful burgundy in early fall. The summer fruit is white, ripens in late summer and holds into fall.
Native Plant Database
Header Photo: Mervin Wallace
Roughleaf Dogwood
Cornus drummondii
Plant Type: Trees
Native Environment: Savanna / Woodland
Season of Interest: Mid (May - June), Late (July - frost)
Main Color: Green
Fall Color: Purple, Red
USDA PLANTS Range Map
At the range map link above, zoom in for county-level data
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Medium Sun/Average Shade
Soil
Moisture
Dry, Moderate
Nature Attracting
Butterfly, Pollinators/Beneficial Insects
Wildlife Benefit
Butterfly / Moth Host, Butterfly / Moth Nectar, Cover, Food/Birds, Food/Pollinators, Food/Small Animals, Nesting
Animal
Resistance
Size
Height:
8 to
15
feet
Spread:
6 to
12
feet
Size
Height: 8 to
15
feet
Spread: 6 to
12
feet
Size
Height: 8 to
15
feet
Spread: 6 to
12
feet
Typical Landscape Use
A tough, hardy plant that is very adaptable. Use on woodland edges or as a thicket for wildlife habitat and bordering an area.
Establishment and Care Instructions
Thrives in harsh, dry situations, but will grow almost anywhere in full or partial sun. Moist and clay soil tolerant as well.
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.