Cornus amomum (Silky Dogwood)

Cornus amomum is known as silky dogwood, is a deciduous shrub in the dogwood family. It's common in wet areas, stream banks, swamps, wet meadows, and other moist habitats, where it can form dense thickets beneficial to wildlife. Typically growing 6–12 feet tall and wide, it is an excellent native shrub for naturalized landscapes, foundation plantings, and wet areas.

Silky dogwood has elliptic leaves with prominent veins and a soft, silky texture beneath. Its young stems are often burgundy red, quite attractive in winter after the leaves have fallen, providing year round interest in the garden.

In late spring to early summer, silky dogwood produces flat-topped clusters of star-shaped white flowers, visited by bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects. In late summer and fall, the shrub produces clusters of blue to blue-gray berries. The fruits provide food for numerous species of birds.

An especially interesting characteristic of silky dogwood is its ability to spread by layering and rooting from stems that contact moist soil. This allows it to form colonies and makes it particularly effective for stabilizing stream banks and preventing erosion. Stem cuttings can be used as live stakes to stabilize stream banks and riparian areas. Its dense growth also provides cover and nesting habitat for birds and other wildlife.

It is particularly useful in rain gardens, wetland plantings, riparian buffers, and wildlife gardens. While it performs best in moisture, it is well adapted to growing in average garden soils.