| Description | Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum) is a native shrub found growing in moist sites. Has white flowers and porcelain blue fruit in the late summer early fall. Best used for naturalized plantings. |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | Shrubs Deciduous, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 4-8 |
| Sunlight | prefers semi-shade, tolerates full |
| Moisture | prefers moist soil and that is where I find most of them in the wild, but can be found growing in much drier sites. |
| Soil & Site | prefers moist, tolerates drier |
| Flowers | creamy white flowers are in flat topped clusters, bloom in May. |
| Fruit | white 1/4" rounded fruit found in clusters, turns porcelain blue color in August, quickly consumed by birds |
| Leaves | simple, entire, opposite, egg shaped, pointed at the tip and rounded at the base, appressed hair |
| Stems | new twigs are reddish, brown and gray as they age |
| Dimensions | 8-10 by 10-12 feet or larger |
| Propagation | seeds |
| Misc Facts | Native shrub that provides food for wildlife. AKA: Pale Dogwood, Swamp Dogwood |
| Author's Notes | I first became aware of this on a landscape installation. I had purchased some Red Twig Dogwood from a nursery, and when young, Red Twig and Silky Dogwood were very similar. The following year the fruit turned a porcelain blue color instead of white. After keying out the shrubs, I find out they are Silky Dogwood. I have a large one (12 by 12 feet or larger) growing in a wet area in the back corner of my lot. |
| Notes & Reference | #1-Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Michael Dirr), #63-How to recognize Shrubs (Grimm), #175-Dogwoods (Paul Cappiello and Don Shadow) |
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