Description

Silky Dogwood is a medium, upright, rounded shrub. It is found naturally in moist lowlands, wetlands, and along streams and ponds, so it prefers medium to wet well-drained soil. The showy small yellowish-white flowers bloom from late-spring to early-summer in flat-toped clusters. Blooms give way to attractive porcelain blue fruit in late summer. Young Silky Dogwoods and new growth have bright red stems in fall, winter, and early spring, similar to the Redosier Dogwood. Interestingly, the smaller branches and leaf undersides have silky hairs, hence the name.

Wildlife value: the abundant flowers of the Silky Dogwood benefit native pollinators, while its fruit is very attractive to birds. Mature plants provide habitat for birds and small mammals, and it is the larval host to the Spring Azure butterfly (pictured above).