Deciduous, North American shrub
Description: Clusters of greenish-white flowers in late spring followed by showy white berries which contrast nicely with bright red flower and fruit stems (pedicels); gray-green foliage turns reddish-purple in fall; new orange-brown stems turn gray as they mature
Habit: Grows 10-15 feet high and wide; upright, multi-stemmed, suckering shrub
Culture: Prefers full sun to part shade and average soil; tolerates wet, dry, and poor soils
Hardiness: Cold hardy to USDA Zone 4

Native to a wide range of growing conditions in eastern North America, this tough, adaptable shrub is a good choice for borders, hedges, difficult slopes, and rain gardens. The Gray Dogwood provides food and shelter for many forms of wildlife and is the larval host for the Spring Azure butterfly. Also called Swamp Dogwood or Panicled Dogwood, this was likely the species included in Bartram’s Catalogue of American Trees, Shrubs, and Herbacious Plants (1783) as “Cornus Perlata, White berried Swamp Dogwood.”