Cornus amomum flowers

Cornus amomum seeds

Cornus amomum
silky dogwood

 Scientific Name
Cornus is from the word cornu which means “horn” and refers to the hard wood; amomum means, “purifying” and may refer to the medicinal uses of the plant.
Common Name
Silky dogwood is named for the silky gray hairs on the twigs and dogwood is thought to be from the use of the wood for skewers or “dogs.” Other names include swamp dogwood, since it grows in swamps, and kinnikinnick. Native American Menominee smoked the bark and called plants kinnikinnick.

NATIVE RANGE AND HABITAT
Silky dogwood is native throughout the eastern seaboard from New York to Georgia and west to Kentucky and Tennessee. It occurs is low woods, along streams and borders of swamps. Silky dogwood occurs frequently across Kentucky in wet woods and stream banks.

CONSERVATION INFORMATION
Silky dogwood is not ranked as a plant of conservation concern by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission. It is listed on the Indiana State Endangered Species List.

DESCRIPTION
Growth Habit and Form 
Silky dogwood is a deciduous, rounded, multi-stemmed shrubby tree. It typically grows 6 to 10 in height with similar spread. 
Leaves 
Leaves are opposite, simple, ovate to elliptic in shape and 2 to 4 inches long. They are dark green and nearly glabrous above and have silky hairs beneath. Leaves have wavy edges and a pointed tip.
Flowers 
Small, creamy to yellow-white flowers are borne in upright, flat-topped clusters between May and June. Flower clusters are 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches across. Pollination is by insects.
Fruit 
The fruit is a small, blue-black, cherry-like drupe less than a ¼ inch in diameter. Fruit are produced in small clusters in August, and are quickly eaten by birds.
Bark 
Silky dogwood bark is brown to maroon with distinct fissuring pattern.
Wild and Cultivated Varieties
‘Indigo’ was selected from wild collected seed in the central United States. It is a seed-produced cultivar from the U.S. Soil Conservation Service.

HORTICULTURE
Landscape Use 
Silky dogwood can be used in groupings, borders and naturalized areas in moist and wet soils where many shrubs do not grow well. It prefers partially shaded sites.
Hardiness Zone 
Hardy in USDA Zones 4 to 8.
Growth Rate
Medium to fast.
Cultivation and Propagation Information 
Silky dogwood is quite adaptable but prefers moist, partially shaded locations. Plants can be propagated by seed and summer softwood cuttings. It was introduced into cultivation in 1658.
Diseases and Insects
Generally nothing serious. Scale may be a problem.
Wildlife Considerations
Silky dogwood provides cover for wildlife and fruit for a variety of birds.
Maintenance Practices
Relatively trouble-free.

TRADITIONAL AND MODERN USES