Silky Dogwood ( amomum) 6-10’ many-stemmed twiggy . Rounded when young, open when mature. Branches that touch the ground may root at the nodes, and the may form thickets. CT native, found in wet woods, thickets, streamsides.

Upright flat-topped 1-2.5” clusters of creamy-white , on short silky hairy stems at tips of branches. May-June. 3.5” wavy elliptical fine-textured , rounded bases, edges, and pointed tips. Deep green above, whitish below, silky hairs on lower veins. Attractive round porcelain/cobalt-blue colored in drooping clusters on green or red stalks in August. Fall color variably purplish-red to burgundy. Younger branches purple-red and silky haired. Older stems brownish-purple and fissured, often arching, rarely larger than 1-2” diameters at breast height.

Sun to shade. Moist to wet soil but quite adaptable. Medium to coarse, acidic to neutral soils, clay tolerant. Heat resistant. Tolerant to some drought. Tolerates irregular to seasonal inundation, or saturation 25% of the growing season. Tolerates erosion Likes 2-4” mulch for cool moist roots in summer.

A fine 4-season plant for naturalizing, in mass, and in the shrub border, especially in moist to wet sites, on slopes, in woodlands, for hedging, massing, screening, and windbreaks The are worthy candidates for naturalizing/ wetland restoration projects. They provide outstanding wildlife forage and nesting habitats. Excellent for stream and river buffers. Excellent for erosion control and stabilization.

Flowers, berries, and twigs valuable for food & shelter. Attracts bumblebees, honeybees, Andrenid bees, Halictic bees. Plays host to over 100 species of butterflies and moths. Larval host to Spring and to Summer Azure Butterflies Fruit is loved by many small birds, including Bobwhite, Flickers, Woodpeckers, Thrashers, Robins, Thrushes, Bluebirds, Finches. Cover for Ducks, other waterfowl.

Photos 1, 4, 9: Peter M. Dziuk, Minnesota Wildflowers minnesotawildflowers.info/shrub/silky-dogwood Photo 2: John Bonser plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cornus-amomum/ Photo 3: Toni Genberg flickr.com/photos/toni-genberg/50018912443/sizes/z/ Photo 5: Shirley Zungell portugal.inaturalist.org/observations/15972344 Photo 6: Pat Breen, Oregon State Univ., Dept. of Horticulture landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/cornus-amomum Photo 7: Will Cook carolinanature.com/trees/coam2.html Photo 8: Dan Mullan plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cornus-amomum/ Photos 9, 10: North Central Conservation District Photo 11: Randy A Nonenmacher portugal.inaturalist.org/observations/68034246