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Cornus obliqua - (image 1 of 5)

Taxonomy

Family: Cornaceae

Synonymous with Cornus amomum Mill. var. scheutzeana (C.A. May.) Rickett.

Habitat

Moist ground.

Associates

Distribution

ME and southern Quebec west to MN, south to NY, KY, IN, IL, AR, and OK.

Morphology

Deciduous, multi-stemmed, solitary shrub to 3 m or more; twigs of current year's growth densely puberulent; young twigs often reddish; older twigs streaked with gray; pith of second-year twigs chocolate-brown. Leaves smooth, opposite, oblong, acuminate, deep green above, pale below. Flowers small, in open cymes. Fruits blue, sometimes whitish, produced in late summer.    

Notes

Flowers mid May to mid July

Wetland indicator: Facultative Wetland -

The blue fruits are a good identifying characteristic in late summer. Cornus sericea is similar but lacks the gray streaks on older twigs. Silky threads are apparent if a leaf is broken lengthwise and the pieces slowly pulled apart, however this is true of the leaves of most of the shrubby dogwoods.

References

Dirr, Michael A. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses.
5th ed. Champaign, Illiois: Stipes Publishing L.L.C.

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.

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