Cornus foemina

Stiff Dogwood is a deciduous flowering shrub or small tree with attractive red twigs, clusters of showy white flowers in the spring, and pale blue to blue-violet fruits in the fall. The tree or shrub may grow from 10 to 25 feet tall. 

The Stiff Dogwood is a native of the East-Central and the Southeastern United States. Its habitats include the banks of streams and rivers, ponds and lakes, and floodplain forests.

The genus name, Cornus, is Latin from the word, cornu, which means "horn." This references the hardness of the wood. The Stiff Dogwood has other common names that include Swamp Dogwood, Stiff Cornel Dogwood, Bluefruit Dogwood, and English Dogwood.

This tree prefers full sun to partial shade and is very tolerant of wet soil conditions. The plant may be reproduced by seeds.

 The Stiff Dogwood is usually multi-trunked. The pith of the tree is white. The bark is reddish-brown on young plants and becomes gray and furrowed with age. The upper surface of the leaves is dark green and smooth, and the lower surfaces are pale gray-green with sparse hairs. The flowers are creamy-white and appear on the terminal ends of branches in the spring. The fruit is a blue drupe that is produced in the fall. 

The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bees, wasps, flies, and butterflies. The leaves serve as food for the Spring Azure Butterfly larvae. The fruits are eaten by many songbirds, raccoons, black bears, squirrels, and chipmunks. Deer and rabbits will eat the foliage and twigs.

The Stiff Dogwood is not as showy as the Flowering Dogwood (Cornus Florida). The tan pith of the Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) distinguishes it from the Stiff Dogwood that has a white pith. Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea) is also similar to the Stiff Dogwood, but it has white drupes.

The Stiff Dogwood would be a good specimen for wet sites near ponds or streams since it is tolerant to poorly drained soils. The plant may do well for naturalizing or borders in moist and soggy sites.

NC Native shrub or tree

Seasons of Interest:

Foliage:  Fall      Bloom: Mid-Spring, Early Summer    Fruit:  Summer, Fall     Bark, twigs:  Winter 

Quick ID Hints:

• wet soils tolerant
• the bark and larger branches are gray
• smaller branches are brown and smooth
• young twigs are hairless, red, and have a white pith
• the upper leaf surface is smooth and medium to dark green 
• the lower leaf surface has sparse hairs and is grayish-green 
• reddish-purple fall foliage
• white flowers are arranged in clusters and have an unpleasant scent
• the fruit is a fleshy blue to blue-violet drupe 

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  There are no serious pests or diseases. 

The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases.