Species Name:  Cornus amomum

Common Name: Silky Dogwood

Zone: 4 to 8

Distribution: Southern Quebec, Maine and Minnesota in the north, south to Georgia, Arkansas and Oklahoma

Seed collection: Cornus amomum (CA) fruit matures in early September in the northeast.  Fruit changes color from green to bluish white gradually deepening to  porcelain blue. Fruits may remain on the plant through October. Some fruit may shrivel on the stem and remain into November.  The fruits are readily eaten by many species of birds especially during fall migration and small mammals like Chipmunk and Raccoon that may strip plants of all their fruit.   Collect fruits from the branches soon after ripening.

Seed handling: Fruit is a small berry about the size of a pea.  Each fruit contains one small round hard seed surrounded by a thin fleshy pulp.  Clean seed soon after collecting.  Macerate fruits and float off the pulp, skins and any seeds that float. Sound seeds will sink to the bottom. Place cleaned seed under stratification within one to two weeks of cleaning to maintain moisture content of seed. Cleaned seed can be sown immediately in prepared beds, planted under natural conditions or stratified for storage and planting in the spring. Seeds require 3 to 4 months cold/moist stratification to break dormancy or fall plant.

Germination requirements: A high percentage of viable seed will germinate the first spring, additional seed may germinate the 2^nd spring.  Germination may be delayed until the 2^nd spring if the seed has been dried or has not been cleaned of pulp.  Sow seed ¼” to ½” deep in prepared seed beds or in natural soils.  Seedlings emerge in early spring as soon as the soil warms.  Seedling growth depends on soil fertility, moisture and weed competition. Seedling size can range from a few inches to 10” the first summer. Seedlings can grow in full sun to half shade the first season.  Shade is recommended the first year.

Ecology: Cornus amomum is an important native wildlife shrub.  It grow in soils with average moisture but is especially adapted to wetlands and poorly drained soils.  Çornus amomum produces abundant fruit which is a preferred fall food for many bird species.

Cornus amomum grows from 6 to 8 ft tall but occasionally reaches 10 ft.  It grows bet in full sunlight but will tolerate half shade.  it grows naturally in low forests, flood plains, swamps, along streams and any place with excess moisture. It also readily naturalizes in old fields undergoing succession and waste places. It should be encouraged in these habitats to provide important wildlife food and cover .

Fruits ready for harvest

Cornus amomum with heavy fruit set

this page posted February 20, 2010