Cornus drummondii tree

John D. Byrd, Mississippi State University.www.forestryimages.org

Cornus drummondii flower

Cornus drummondii
rough-leaved dogwood

Scientific Name
Cornus is from the word cornu which means “horn” and refers to the hard wood; drummondii is in honor of Thomas Drummond, a Scottish explorer.
Common Name
Rough-leaved dogwood is named for the hairy leaves that are rough to the touch and dogwood is thought to be from the use of the wood for skewers or “dogs.”

NATIVE RANGE AND HABITAT
Rough-leaved dogwood’s native range is Ontario to Florida, west to Iowa, Kansas and Texas. It grows in woodlands, edges of thickets and creek sides in alkaline soils. The species occurs frequently in dry roadsides and thickets across Kentucky.

CONSERVATION INFORMATION
Rough-leaved dogwood is native to Kentucky. It is not ranked as a plant of conservation concern by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission.

DESCRIPTION
Growth Habit and Form
Rough-leaved dogwood is a small, spreading, upright, deciduous tree with an irregular outline or silhouette. It can grow to 15 feet in height with a 10 foot spread. It is a small tree with short trunk and open, spreading crown or sometimes a thicket-forming shrub.
Leaves
Leaves are opposite, simple, and ovate to elliptical with prominent paired curved veins and entire margins. Leaves are 2 to 4 inches long, green and hairy above (rough to the touch), pale and soft-hairy below. Fall color is purplish-red.
Flowers
Showy clusters of flowers bloom in summer between May and July. Small, creamy white, four-petaled flowers occur in flat top clusters up to 3 inches across.
Fruit
Small, hard white fruits form in loose clusters at the ends of leafy branches from August to October. The fruit, a berry-like drupe is less than 1/4 inch across. Fruit stalks are greenish.
Bark
Twigs are slender, purplish to red-brown or yellow-brown to green-brown. Current year’s growth is very pubescent. Buds are small, brown, pointed and covered in rusty hair. Bark is initially smooth and gray-brown, becoming flaky and broken, eventually blocky on larger specimens.
Wild and Cultivated Varieties
None

HORTICULTURE
Landscape Use
Trees typically grow with several trunks but can be trained to grow with a single trunk. Rough-leaved dogwood can form a dense thicket of intertwined branches, making it ideal for use as a hedge, border, or as a cover for wildlife.
Hardiness Zone
Hardy in USDA Zones 4 to 9.
Growth Rate
Growth rate is fast.
Cultivation and Propagation Information
Rough-leaved dogwood should be grown in full sun on well-drained soils. A partially shaded spot at the edge of the woods is also a suitable location. Propagate from seed and softwood cuttings taken in July.
Diseases and Insects
None serious.
Wildlife Considerations
The fruits ripen from August to October, and provide food for at least 40 species of birds, making it an important “wildscape” plant. Rough-leaved dogwood can form a dense thicket of intertwined branches, making it ideal for use as a cover for wildlife.
Maintenance Practices
Rough-leaved dogwood requires pruning to develop a strong structure.

TRADITIONAL AND MODERN USES
Rough-leaved dogwood was introduced into cultivation in 1836.