Cornus racemosa
Common name: Gray Dogwood
Gray Dogwood is a much-maligned shrub by restoration groups because it is hard to eradicate and suckers freely. The use of fire in prairie management actually encourages the suckering of Gray Dogwood and many other native trees and shrubs. To say that Gray Dogwood is tough is an understatement. It can tolerate light shade but does best in full sun. It grows in wet or dry soils and even grows great in sand. Not only does this plant have outstanding restoration uses, but it thrives on compacted constructions sites as well. The dogwood has white flowers in May that turn to white fruit on red panicles, which birds relish, in the fall. Locally-collected seed produces plants with early fall color of maroon-red which lasts for 2 weeks. It is a great plant to be massed in shrub borders. Many of the plants sold in the trade as Gray Dogwood are really Rough-Leaved Dogwood, which is much bigger and has no fall color.
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Plant Details
Plant type
Shrubs
Soil type
Dry Mesic, Mesic (Not too Wet Not too Dry), Moist Mesic
Light exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun / Part Shade
Bloom period
Summer
Urban environment
Uncompacted Urban Soils, Harsh Exposure Tolerant, Compacted/New Construction Soils, Road-side/Salt Tolerant, Yards that Flood
Habitat
Moist Woods, Prairie Grasslands, Savannas, Woodlands
Growth form
Shrubby/Clump, Colonizing / Spreading
Growth rate
Fast
Flower color
White
Fall color
Yellow
Size
- Mature height
- 6 Feet
- Mature width
- 5 Feet
- Max height
- 12 Feet
- Max width
- 8 Feet
Additional information
Butterfly host plant Loved by birds Pollinator hot spot
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