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Cornus alternifolia

Pagoda Dogwood

Pronunciation
CORN-us al-ter-ni-FOL-ee-a
Family
Genus
Nativity

Eastern US, New Brunswick south to Georgia, west to Minnesota and Alabama

Growth Habit

Spreading, horizontal, low branched shrub

Hardiness
3
Culture

Moist, acidic well-drained soils, does best in cooler climates, sun

Facultative Status
Facultative
Landscape Use

Naturalizing or shrub border

Foliage

Medium-dark green in summer. Alternate but crowed appearing if whirled, simple, elliptic-ovate, two to five inches long. Reddish purple fall color

Buds

Flowering buds, reddish-purple glaborous at the base to mostly glaborous at the apex, medium to dark green

Bark

Stems brownish possibly a purple hue, older bark is gray and slightly ridged-and-furrowed:Gray bark

Flower

Yellowish white, overpoweringly fragrant, blooms early May to June

Fruit

Drupe, bluish-black, bloomy, .25 to .33 inches across, pinkish red fruit stalk

Propagation

Seed, cuttings.

Pests
Leaf spot, twig blight or canker are problems.
Cultivars

'Argentea' - leaves variegated with white; tends towards shrubby habit.

'Black Stem' - a 25 foot high tree with black stems.

'Gold Bullion' - golden-yellow foliage turns chartreuse-yellow in heat.

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