Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Cornaceae

Genus:

Cornus

Species:

Cornus torreyi

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

500 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

may,jun

Bloom Colors:

white

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

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)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals, butterflies

Fall Color:

red, purple

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from root crown after fire or cutting. Common in fire-adapted riparian communities.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–120 days

Germination Time:

30–180 days

Notes:

Germination can be erratic and may take two seasons. Seeds benefit from warm stratification followed by cold stratification.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI