Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Cornaceae

Genus:

Cornus

Species:

Cornus foemina

USDA Symbol:

COFO

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Tree

Height:

500 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

may,jun

Bloom Colors:

white, cream

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

★☆☆☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, butterflies, small mammals

Fall Color:

red, purple

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from root crown following fire. Tolerates occasional burning in its native bottomland and woodland habitats.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, fertile, well-drained loam

pH:

5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

Often found in wetland areas and along stream banks

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 60–120 days

Germination Time:

30–90 days

Notes:

Requires warm stratification followed by cold stratification. Seeds may take two seasons to germinate in the wild.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI