Silky Dogwood

The blue-fruited Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum) is a native deciduous shrub with ornamental features. The Silky Dogwood will have a mature height of 6-8 feet tall with an equal spread but can be trimmed to any size with ease. It has no serious insect or disease issues and is a relatively fast-growing shrub!

Your Silky Dogwood has attractive greenish-white flower clusters that appear in flat-topped clusters of tiny flowers, 2.5-inches wide in the spring. These attract their fair share of pollinators to stop by for a visit. In fact, they're a vital caterpillar Host Plant for Azure butterflies larvae! The flowers mature to berry-like drupes that begin white but slowly transform to a lovely blue for the fall. The fruit is eaten by game birds and is especially important as a source of food for migrating songbirds!

The glossy, medium to dark-green leaves are up to 5-inches long with noticeable veins and silky hairs on their undersides, thus this Dogwood's name. The brown twigs, likewise, have tiny hairs, with the twigs adding a dark reddish-purple hue for autumn. After the leaves fall, the brownish-red twigs stand out against the brilliant white snow and present an important source of winter browse for deer and rabbits.

Planting and Application:

You could effectively use these for hedgerows and windbreaks, or even as a specimen plant. One would look terrific at the back border of your garden, and they even work well for erosion control. Silky Dogwood does particularly well in moist areas, so would be a great addition to your yard for those soggy areas, Rain Garden, or where the gutters drain at the corner of your home, which are difficult to find good plantings for.

Silky Dogwood's beautiful spring flowers, fall drupes and lively bark color make it a charming addition to your home. Its fast-growing, hardy nature and suitability for even moist soils add even more benefits to this lovely ornamental shrub! Large enough at maturity for screening and privacy, as well as shelterbelts and windbreaks. Wonderful for creating naturalized areas when used en masse. Use for erosion control on tall hillsides and hard-to-mow slopes by water features, streams, ponds and brooks.

• Greenish White Blossoms in Spring
• Fall Blue Fruit For Birds
• Wonderful Spring & Fall Color
• Thrives in Wet Soils
• Mid-Sized Shrub - Butterfly & Wildlife Interest

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Dogwood are extremely adaptable and tolerates a dizzying array of growing conditions. From full shade to full sun, about any type of soil from average to clay to wet sites and soil, as long as it is well-drained. Mulch the site well and prune when dormant in late winter or early spring. Hardy in USDA hardiness zones 4-8, these are cold hardy shrubs!

• Full Sun, Full Shade & Everything in Between
• Widely Adaptable to Soil Type
• Moist to Wet Well-Drained Soil
• Erosion Control
• Prune When Dormant

Silky Dogwood shrubs are unique cultivars of the widely adaptable United States native that looks lovely in the home landscape! Perfect for wildlife and pollinators, these are vigorous and versatile hedges, specimens and ornamental features! Plant one to begin enjoying all the Silky Dogwood has to offer! Order yours from NatureHills.com today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast does Silky Dogwood grow?

The Silky Dogwood shrub is a medium-growth rate and can add about a foot or so of new growth each growing season.

How big does Silky Dogwood get?

The Silky Dogwood can reach 6 - 8 feet in height and just a bit wider than tall in optimal conditions.

Is the Silky Dogwood fragrant?

The Silky Dogwood does have fragrant blossoms!

Will Silky Dogwood grow in full sun?

The Silky Dogwood grows in all sun conditions from full sun to full shade. But you'll get more flowers in more sun.

Are Dogwood shrubs good for wildlife?

The Dogwood Shrub is a fantastic wildlife shrub and it's a pollinator-friendly native that feeds birds with its fruit and is even a caterpillar host plant.