Dogwoods

Highlights

Native dogwood trees are beloved trees, especially when blooming in the spring. Dogwoods are known for their gorgeous flowers, berries loved by birds, and their fiery leaf color in the fall. There are 50+ dogwood species worldwide; approximately 12 dogwoods are native to the United States and Canada (including some of the most gorgeous ones!) Learn how to plant and care for them and how to spot these iconic native trees below.

North America’s native dogwoods are a beloved part of American storytelling and gardening, including being planted by both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

Let’s start with a basic question:

What are the benefits of planting native dogwoods?

Planting native dogwoods deliver a lot of benefits, including:

• Attract Pollinators and Wildlife: Native dogwoods provide essential nectar for pollinators like bees and butterflies, and berries in the fall that sustain migrating birds and other wildlife.
• Year-Round Beauty: With spring blooms, vibrant fall foliage, and bright berries in winter, native dogwoods add interest to your yard all year.
• Low Maintenance and Adaptable: Perfectly suited to local conditions, native dogwoods thrive with minimal care and require fewer resources than non-native alternatives.

And one more reason to plant native dogwoods… 🦋

Dogwoods are host plants

Native dogwoods (especially eastern flowering dogwoods) are host plants for dozens of butterflies, including the stunning spring azure and summer azure. If you need one more reason why we should plant native dogwoods over non-native trees or shrubs, this is it.

Planting native dogwoods ensures that our gardens and landscapes look amazing and that wildlife has the food and homes it needs to thrive.

Meet the native dogwood species

These native dogwoods are all worthy of planting in our gardens ASAP. We’ve organized them into two groups: single flowers and clumps of flowers.

Native dogwoods with single flowers

BTW, technically, these are not flowers.

These three dogwood “flowers” are bracts. A bract is a modified leaf that looks like a petal. Another plant with bract “flowers” is the poinsettia.

1. Eastern flowering dogwood

Cornus florida

If you’ve been on the East Coast and seen a gorgeous small tree covered in rounded four-petaled flowers, it was probably an eastern flowering dogwood. This native tree covers itself in flowers in the mid to late spring. In the fall, its leaves turn beautiful dark red. It is a perfect statement tree. (Trivia bonus: the Latin species name Florida doesn’t come from the state—florida is Latin for flowering.)

Meet eastern flowering dogwood

2. Pacific dogwood

Cornus nuttallii

Pacific dogwood has showy white bracts and is the official flower of British Columbia, Canada. It looks very similar to the eastern flowering dogwood but—as you probably guessed—is native to the west coast.

3. Bunchberry or creeping dogwood

Cornus canadensis

Bunchberry or creeping dogwood is the shortest of the dogwoods, at only 6″ high. It is a lovely groundcover option. In the spring, it covers itself in the four-petaled flowers seen in Pacific and Eastern Flowering Dogwood trees. A perfect choice for shady areas.

Meet bunchberry

Native dogwoods with clumps of flowers

4. Alternate-leafed or pagoda dogwood

Cornus alternifolia

Alternative-leaf dogwoods grow branches in long horizontal layers, almost like a cake, giving an architectural elegance. They cover these branches with creamy small flowers in the late spring/early summer, turning into dark blue berries in the early fall. These fruits are bird favorites. They are a perfect statement tree.

5. Gray dogwood

Cornus racemosa

Looking for a verdant privacy fence that will be covered in birds? Gray dogwoods are for you. Gray dogwoods form thick walls of shrubbery, which are then covered in flowers, tiny white berries, and brightly covered stems. Gray dogwoods like a wide range of soil, making them perfect for beginner gardeners. It’s a four-season stunner that’s a no-brainer to plant.

Meet gray dogwood

6. Red osier dogwood

Cornus sericea

Red osiers’ stems look hand-dipped in red paint when their leaves fall in the winter. Red osiers flower in the late spring to early summer with lightly scented white flowers. In the fall, leaves turn orange. Red osiers prefers wetter areas (perfect for rain gardens.)

7. Round-leaved dogwood

Cornus rugosa

Round-leaved dogwood shrubs can quickly thrive and create dense growth, thanks to their ability to expand via suckers. Their leaves offer beautiful dappled shade. White flowers and white berries offer food for both pollinators and birds.

8. Silky dogwood

Cornus amomum

Silky dogwood showcases silky-haired leaves, white flowers, and vibrant blue fruit. (Sorry, the fruit is edible only to birds.)

9. Swamp or stiff dogwood

Cornus foemina

Swamp or stiff dogwood thrives in wet areas and can handle a range of soil conditions. Swamp dogwood is perfect for rain gardens.

Other native dogwood species

Besides these nine species of native dogwood, here are three more:

• Rough-leaved dogwood (Cornus drummondii): Features rough-textured leaves, creamy white blooms, and bluish-black fruit.
• Blue-fruited dogwood (Cornus obliqua), this plant also goes by the common name silky dogwood—another reason why Latin names are a big help—native to the Northeast and Midwest.
• Blackfruit dogwood (Cornus sessilis) is native only to California.

What dogwood species are not native?

As mentioned earlier, there are around 50 dogwood species worldwide. We have already met North American natives. The rest are native to Asia and Europe. You often encounter some of the non-native species in yards and plant nurseries, including:

Kousa dogwood

Cornus kousa

• White flowers with pointy ends
• Native to Japan
• Kousa flowers turn into bumpy, bright orange fruits in the fall, making a mess that attracts ants

Siberian dogwood

Cornus alba

• Known for its red stems in winter
• Native to eastern and central Asia
• When stressed, it can get sick with powdery mildew, leaf spot, canker, root rot, and leaf and twig blight

Why are these non-native dogwoods everywhere when we have native dupes available?

• No more Kousas: Eastern flowering and Pacific dogwoods are just as gorgeous
• No more Siberian dogwoods: red osiers offer the same bright red stems in winter

Have questions about planting, care, or choosing the right native dogwood? We’ve got you covered—explore the FAQs below to get started.

What pairs well with native dogwoods?

When it comes to finding friends for your dogwood, there are many native plants to pick from. Favorite flowering trees like native magnolias, redbud, tulip poplars, Carolina silverbell, franklin trees, and pawpaws are gorgeous, alongside flowering shrubs like oakleaf hydrangea, sweetshrub, mountain laurel, and native azaleas.

Where can I buy native dogwoods?

Finding native plants for your garden is easy if you know where to look! Here are four resources we put together to make finding native dogwoods a breeze:

FAQs

What about a dogwood with pink flowers?

That is probably a pink dogwood, a variety of the Eastern Flowering Dogwood. You’ll know they are related by their Latin name: Cornus Florida variety rubra. (Sometimes the term ‘variety’ is shortened to ‘var.’)

The term variety describes plants curated by humans to look/behave in a certain way. To learn where varieties come from, read our quick overview on cultivars, which also explains varieties.

Where did the name dogwood come from?

The name ‘dogwood’ has a fun, culinary backstory. The name comes from its smooth, straight twigs that long-ago generations used as skewers for cooking meat.

These skewers were once called ‘dags’ or ‘dogs’, so essentially, dogwood means ‘skewer wood.’

Can I eat native dogwood berries?

No. The USDA says it clearly:

WARNING: The fruit of flowering dogwood is poisonous to humans.

We can’t get any more clear than that.

However…

Dogwood berries are a favorite of migrating birds

Dogwood berries are a crucial food source for birds migrating south in the fall. Eastern Flowering Dogwoods, in particular, produce berries that are packed with fats and calcium, giving birds the energy and nutrients they need for their journey.

Congratulations, you’ve met North America’s stunning native dogwoods! Celebrated for their iconic beauty, these trees are ready to thrive in your yard. With various species to suit your region and gardening needs, you’re sure to find the perfect match. Visit your local native nursery, explore your options, and welcome the four-season beauty of dogwoods into your landscape. Want to discover more about native trees? Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Native Magnolias or our Best Native Trees for Front Yards, and keep growing your native garden. Happy planting!

Similar plants

• Crabapples
• Serviceberry
• Birch
• Pines
• Asters
• Black-Eyed Susans
• Goldenrods
• American Plum
• Magnolias

Written by

Emily Lessard

Founder & Editor, The Plant Native

Emily Lessard is the founder and editor of The Plant Native, the site that helps homeowners across North America get started with native plants. She holds a Sustainable Landscapes certificate through the Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association, is finishing a Native Perennial Garden Design Certificate at Temple University, and is the author of Plant Native: A Practical Guide to Over 100 Native Plants of North America (Quarto, March 2027). She gardens outside Philadelphia in the 8.3 Southeastern Plains ecoregion.

Meet Emily

Updated October 9, 2026Find more: White · Beginner Guide · Keystone · Statement Tree · Tree · Spring · Full Sun · Part Sun

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