Kingdom Plantae Family Cornaceae Subgenus Kraniopsis Higher classification Dogwood | Order Cornales Genus Cornus Scientific name Cornus racemosa Rank Species | |
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Similar Dogwood, Cornus amomum, Cornus alternifolia, Cornus foemina, Cornus sericea | ||
Cornus racemosa, the northern swamp dogwood, gray dogwood or panicle dogwood, is a shrubby plant native to southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States. It is a member of the dogwood genus Cornus and the family Cornaceae.
Description
Plants can produce many stems and suckers, with older stems, which can reach 5 metres (16 ft) in height, having distinctive gray bark. The pith is white. The leaves are 4-8cm long and typically have 3-4 pairs of lateral veins. The plant grows upright with a rounded habit and oppositely arranged leaves and terminally born flowers. The white flowers are small, with four petals, and clustered together in rounded, 2-inch-wide (51 mm) clusters called cymose panicles, produced in May and early June. After flowering, green fruits are produced that turn white in late summer. The white fruits, or drupes, are attached to the plant by bright red pedicels. Many species of birds feed on the fruits. Old branches grow slowly, while new stems are fast growing. In the fall the foliage can take on a reddish or purplish color, though it is not overly showy from a distance.
