Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Cornus stolonifera

Red-osier Dogwood

At a Glance: Spreading, thicket-forming shrub with bright red stems.

Height: Up to 20 feet (6 meters).
Growth Form: Shrub.
Stems: Bright red, smooth stems; opposite branches; branches can root freely.
Leaves: Opposite arrangement; oval, sharp-pointed with 5-7 prominent parallel veins that converge at leaf tips; filmy white threads running through veins; leaves can become reddish in autumn; size: 5-10 cm (2-4 in) long.
Flowers: The tiny flowers have 4 petals and 4 stamens; numerous in dense, flat-topped terminal clusters; primary color: white to greenish; size: 2-4 mm long.
Flowering Period: April, May, June.
Fruits: Berry-like drupes ranging from pale bluish-green to white in color, each with some flattened stones; bitter and inedible; size: 7-9 mm long.


Photo © Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: FACW (facultative wetland)	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
Prefers seasonally inundated soils.
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

Berries

Seeds

Nectar for hummingbirds

Nectar for butterflies

Host for insect larvae

Thickets and shelter

Thorny or protective cover

Birds: The berries are eaten by birds such as vireos, warblers, kingbirds, robins, flickers, flycatchers, wood ducks, grouse, band-tailed pigeons, and quail.
Insects: The nectar is used by orange sulphur and other adult butterflies. The leaves are used by spring azure and other butterfly larvae.
Mammals: The berries are eaten by mammals such as bears, foxes, skunks, and chipmunks. The wood is browsed by deer, elk, and rabbits. Beavers and muskrats use twigs to repair dams or build new dams.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Landscape Uses: Prized for the red winter twig color.

Suggested References

Alden, P., D. Paulson. 1998. National Audubon Society, Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest. Chanticleer Press. Page 112.
Guard, B.J. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 209.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 246.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 143.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 98.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.