Over 40 species of birds feed on the fruit which ripen as white berries in the early fall, August through October, in time for migration. The fruit can disappear quickly, the birds love them. Photo by Don Glentzer.

Roughleaf Dogwood

Cornus drummondii

This pretty understory tree grows 10 to 20 feet and can also succeed in full sun. It’s small, shrubby, relaxed shape is popular in landscapes as a naturalistic planting.

The rough leaf dogwood is both fast growing and easy to grow in most any soil. It’s highly tolerant of harsh, drought conditions. This species isn’t comparable to the flowering dogwood but is far easier to grow, especially in low, wet soils.

Also commonly known as native dogwood.

Cream colored flowers bloom in charming clusters from about March to April. Deciduous leaves, in the upper surface, are olive green and relatively rough. The lower surface is paler with prominent veining. The leaves provide a vivid show of burgundy in the fall, a color event which tends to last into the winter. Photo by Don Glentzer.