Pacific Dogwood, Cornus nuttallii

About Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii) 26 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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The Pacific Dogwood is a species of dogwood native to western North America from lowlands of southern British Columbia to mountains of southern California. An inland population occurs in central Idaho. Cultivated examples are found as far north as the Queen Charlotte Islands. It is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree, reaching 7-20 meters tall, often with multiple trunks and and an irregular form. The leaves are opposite, simple oval, 8-12 centimeters long and 5-8 centimeters broad. The flowers are individually small and inconspicuous, 2-3 millimeters across, produced in a dense, rounded, greenish-white flowerhead 2 centimeter diameters; the 4-8 large white "petals" are actually leafs, each leaf is 4-7 centimeters long and broad. The fruit is a compound pink-red berry about 3 centimeters in diameter, containing 50-100 small seeds; it is edible, though not very palatable.

With its spectacular white flowers, bright green leaves, beautiful autumn foliage, and attractive growth form, Pacific Dogwoods are among the more popular native California trees in landscaping applications. It's long-lived and easy to grow as long as it's planted in its natural range and in the right site type. It needs to be planted in cool, rich, deep and well draining soil, in part shade, preferably among smaller companion plants, so as it matures it can reach its branches out into direct sun. Provide occasional summer water until established, then stop all supplementary irrigation. Avoid disturbing the soil within a few feet of the trunk.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

12 - 65.6 ft tall
6 - 30 ft wide

Form

Upright

Growth Rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Flower Color

Green, White

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Birds, particularly band-tailed pigeons. In wild areas, bear and beaver eat the fruit.
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3 confirmed

, 36 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Western Carpet Melanolophia imitataMelanolophia imitata

Dimorphic Bomolocha Hypena bijugalisHypena bijugalis

Pearsall's Carpet Moth Venusia pearsalliVenusia pearsalli

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Polyphemus moth Antheraea polyphemusAntheraea polyphemus

Speckled Green Fruitworm Moth Orthosia hibisciOrthosia hibisci

Red-Humped Caterpillar Schizura concinnaSchizura concinna

Landscaping Information

Sun

Shade, Part Shade

Moisture

Low

Summer Irrigation

Never irrigate once established

Nurseries

Carried by 26

Ease of Care

Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to -5 - 20° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Prefers soil that is cool, moist, deep, well-drained and high in organic matter.. Soil PH: 4 - 7

Common uses

Bird Gardens

Companion Plants

Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Grand Fir (Abies grandis), Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia), Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata), Giant Chinkapin (Chrysolepis chrysophylla var. chrysophylla), Pacific Rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum), Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), Pacific Bayberry (Myrica californica)

Maintenance

Susceptible to anthracnose. To reduce chance of infection, plant in an areas with good air circulation, and prune to prevent tight branching patterns.. Prune to an open branching pattern to reduce risk of antrhacnose infection.

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: 3-4 mos. stratification. Scarification or soaking in concentrated H2S04 1hr. first may improve germination. Fresh seeds may need no pre-treatment (USDA Forest Service 1948).

Sunset Zones?

1, 2, 4*, 5*, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23

Natural Setting

Site Type

Cool partly-shady areas, with deep, rich, well-draining soil, usually at the edge of forests.

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 12.1" - 152.2", Summer Precipitation: 0.19" - 5.84", Coldest Month: 25.5" - 53.8", Hottest Month: 47.2" - 79.3", Humidity: 0.10" - 26.55", Elevation: 30" - 10807"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Pacific Mountain Dogwood

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Pacific Dogwood

Cornus nuttallii

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Pacific DogwoodCornus nuttallii

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Pacific Dogwood

Cornus nuttallii