woodland shrub

Gray dogwood

Cornus racemosa

Native to much of the USA and southern Canada

Maine to Ontario and Manitoba, south to South Carolina and Arkansas

Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Moist Moisture preference
Zones 3–8 Cold to heat range
Bloom May–Jul Flowering time
Height up to 16 ft to 4.9 m
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

In the garden

A woodland shrub for sun through shade and evenly moist soil. At up to 16 ft, it needs room in shade gardens and woodland edges. Hardy in USDA zones 3–8.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Brown-belted Bumble Bee, Two-spotted Bumble Bee +37 more
American Bumble Bee, Black-and-gold Bumble Bee, Agapostemon texanus, Golden Sweat Bee, Modest Masked Bee, Carlin's Mining Bee, Neighborly Mining Bee, Silky Striped Sweat Bee, Sanderson's Bumble Bee, Bristle Sweat Bee, Rugose-chested Sweat Bee, Cresson's Mining Bee, Bare Dogwood Miner, Orange-legged Miner Bee, Ceratina dupla, Hylaeus affinis, Produced Small-Mason, Nomada superba, Imitator Miner Bee, Experienced Sweat Bee, Obliterated Nomad, Commodius Miner Bee, Fragile Miner Bee, Forbes' Mining Bee, Nomada affabilis, Nomada electella, Andrena miserabilis, Colourful Willow Miner Bee, Coelioxys brevis, Andrena sayi, Agapostemon viridulus, Short-horned Yellow-face Bee, Lasioglossum tegulare, Plated Miner Bee, Tetragona dissecta, Augochlorella persimilis, Florida Masked Bee
Flower flies Margined Calligrapher

also Eastern Calligrapher, Transverse-banded Flower Fly, Long-tailed Aphideater +11 more
Black-shouldered Drone Fly, Tufted Globetail, Common Lagoon Fly, Wavy Mucksucker, Black-haired Psyllid-killer, Scar-horned Blacklet, Broad-banded Hornet Fly, Bombylius pulchellus, White-haired Pithead, Mallota cimbiciformis, Shiny Thickleg
Beetles Lined Longhorn Beetle

also Cantharis livida, Slender Flower Longhorn Beetle, Ant-like Longhorn Beetle +5 more
Red-winged Longhorn Beetle, Bimaculate Longhorn Beetle, Valgus canaliculatus, Chlorophorus glaucus, Tumbling Ragdoll
Also visited by
- Butterflies:
  
  Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Red Admiral +7 more
  American Lady, Question Mark, American Red Admiral, Bronze Copper, Limenitis astyanax, Euptychia cymela, Limenitis arthemis arthemis
- Moths:
  
  Fall Webworm Moth, Hickory Tussock Moth +4 more
  Virginia Ctenucha Moth, Eight-spotted Forester Moth, White-striped Black, Cecropia Moth
- Birds:
  
  American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler +1 more
  White-throated Sparrow
- Wasps:
  
  Fraternal Potter Wasp, One-banded Mason Wasp +1 more
  Ancistrocerus campestris

Butterflies that use this plant

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (28): AR, CT, DE, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, VA, VT, WI, WV. Canada (4): MB, NB, ON, QC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Maine to Ontario and Manitoba, south to South Carolina and ArkansasThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: MoistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 3–8 · Canadian 3–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Moist soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil pH: 4.8–7.4The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Salinity tolerance: NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: LowHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Growth & form

Height: up to 16 ft (to 4.9 m)Typical mature height.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 16+ in (41+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: May–JulWhen it flowers.
Flower color: White, GreenThe bloom color, or colors.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~0.0 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: SlowWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.