Ontario Trees & Shrubs website

Gray Dogwood
Cornus racemosa

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) Other common names: Grey Dogwood

Family: Dogwood Family (Cornaceae)

Group: Dogwoods

Distinctive features: Shrub

Flowers: White

Height: 3 m (9 ft)

Habitat: Fields and Open Areas

Books: Shrubs of Ontario: 355   

Native/Non-native: Native

Notes: A good plant for naturalizing wild areas. The berries are excellent food for song birds. It also tolerates a wide variety of conditions, making it suitable in just about any open sunny place, or even light shade.

Origin and Meaning of Names:
 Scientific Name: racemosa: with racemes


Photographs: 102 photographs available, of which 12 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Range Map is at the bottom of the page

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) leaves

Gray Dogwood leaves.

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) leaf

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) leaf

Underside of a Gray Dogwood leaf.

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) as a hedge

Gray Dogwood can make a nice open hedge.

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)

Gray Dogwood leaves turn red and orange in the fall.

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)

Empty fruit cluster in mid-winter.

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) twig

Gray Dogwood twig in winter.

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) twig in spring

Gray Dogwood twig in spring (late April).

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) flowers

Gray Dogwood flower cluster. The showy white flowers appear in June.

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)

A nice clump of Gray Dogwood in bloom.

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) flowers

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) berries

Gray Dogwood berries.


Range map for Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)

PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.

(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website and is displayed here in accordance with their Policies)