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Roughleaf Dogwood

Cornus drummondii

Nature Hills Nursery
$9397 $11271
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Plant Size

Planting & Care

Where to Plant

  • Sunlight: This shrub thrives in full sun to partial shade, requiring at least four to six hours of direct light. While it grows well in shadier spots, planting it in a sunnier location will result in thicker foliage and a more prolific display of white berries.
  • Soil: Roughleaf Dogwood is famous for its adaptability and can handle everything from wet areas to heavy clay. If your soil is particularly dense or slow to drain, plant the root ball slightly above the soil line to prevent the crown from staying too wet.

Watering Requirements

During the first two growing seasons, provide a deep soaking twice a week to help the roots reach deep into the ground. Once established, this dogwood is impressively drought tolerant and rarely needs supplemental water unless there is a prolonged dry spell. If the plant becomes severely stressed from lack of water, you may notice the leaf edges turning brown and crispy, which is the plant’s way of protecting its core.

Pruning Tips

Since this plant blooms on new wood, you should do any heavy pruning in late winter or very early spring before new growth appears. Think of it like a scheduled tune-up where you remove about one third of the oldest, thickest stems all the way to the ground to encourage fresh, vigorous shoots. This renewal pruning keeps the shrub from becoming leggy and ensures the best possible flower and fruit production for the coming season.

Fertilizer Needs

Apply a balanced, slow release fertilizer in early spring just as the leaf buds begin to swell. Avoid using high nitrogen fertilizers after the middle of summer because this can trigger a flush of tender new growth that will not have time to harden off before winter. Keeping the feeding schedule to early spring ensures the plant has the energy it needs for summer berries without risking frost damage to new stems.

Delivery and Shipping

Preorder Shipping Schedule

We ship your plants when it's safe to transport them to your zone. Dates are estimated and subject to weather delays.

Zone 3-4 Week of March 30th
Zone 5 Week of March 16th
Zone 6 Week of March 2nd
Zone 7-12 Week of February 23rd


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Ships in 3-4 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected

Under $50 $9.99
$50 - $99.99 $14.99
$100 - $149.99 $16.99
$150 - $198.99 $24.99
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The pretty native Roughleaf Dogwood shrub (Cornus drummondii) is also known as Rough-leaved Dogwood and widely regarded for its textured green foliage, star-shaped blooms, and ornamental white berries for three seasons of beauty within the landscape! You can choose if your ornamental becomes a shrub or multi-stemmed tree with training!

Flowering in May-June, the yellowish-white clusters of flowers are borne in dense clusters and are comprised of tiny flowers! These pretty blooms provide nectar for pollinators and beneficial insects in addition to accenting your landscape beautifully!

Fall explodes with great fall color and ornamental white fruit clusters. Migrating birds will make a pit stop to feast on the fruit and you'll love using the berry-laden branches in fall décor! Once winter arrives, you'll be treated to the textured gray-brown bark with shallow grooves and plates, while revealing the canopy.

Planting and Application:

Roughleaf Dogwood are beautiful accents to plant around decks, patios, and foundation plantings. Pull up a lawn chair or garden bench to enjoy the pollinators and songbirds fluttering among these native shrubs' branches!

Plant where the gutters drain to create a Rain Garden that slows water and filters runoff. These shrubs colonize by suckers when allowed, thriving in their native environments throughout moist woodlands, and along streams and ponds. Let form thickets for naturalizing areas or as erosion control.

Growing 8 to 15 feet in height and width, hedges and mixed shrub borders. Creating easy-care habitat and birds cover, use as shelterbelts, screening, or windbreaks that also bump up the curb appeal!

  • Showy Fragrant Flower Clusters
  • Great Cut Flowers & Pollinator-Friendly
  • Wildlife Cover, Nesting & Protection
  • Rounded Thicket-Forming Cold-Hardy Shrubs
  • Rain Gardens, Naturalizing, Butterfly & Cottage Gardens

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Plant in full sun in moist, cool climates, or part to full shade in hot growing zones or drier locations. Dogwood shrubs are well-known for their moist to wet soil tolerance but can also be quite low water usage once established! Plant with Nature Hills Root Booster and a 3-4 inch deep layer of mulch to support the root system for the life of the shrub! Easily train as a small tree or hedgerow with pruning and renewal prune every 3-5 years to maintain flowering and fruiting vigor.

  • Mulch in Hot Climates & Full Sun
  • Thrives in Wet Soils As Well As Average Conditions
  • Widely Adaptable - Alkaline, Clay, Dry, Wet & Cold
  • Prune When Dormant
  • Hardy & Adaptable Native Shrub or Tree

The fantastic native shrub, the Roughleaf Dogwood is a versatile and easy-going plant with four seasons of interest! Find these and more pollinator and bird-friendly plants to support your ecosystem at Nature Hills Nursery!

Growing Zones 5 - 8

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