Mountain dogwood, Pacific dogwood, Western Flowering Dogwood, West American dogwood
Cornus nuttallii

Family: Cornaceae

What it is like

A slender tree. It grows up to 9-15 m high. The trunk can be 30 cm across. In gardens it is often only a shrub. The bark is light grey and thin. It breaks into small plates with age. The leaves are clustered at the shoot tips. The leaves are opposite and 8-15 cm long. They are widest near the middle and taper to both ends. The tip is short and sharp. The base is broad and wedge shaped. The edges are wavy. The leaves are deep green on top and greyish-green underneath. The leaves turn yellow and red in autumn. The flowers are small and dull purple or green. They occur in compact flower heads which are 10-12 cm across with 4-7 pure white bracts. The small cluster of flowers at their centre is purple. The fruit are bright red and 10-12 mm across. The occur in dense packed round clusters. There are 30-40 in the group. They ripen in autumn.

There are about 45 Cornus species.

Where it is found

It is native to western North America. Temperate. It suits cool, rainy climates in partly shady places. It is often along riverbanks and near the bottom of valleys. It is resistant to frost but damaged by drought. It suits hardiness zones 7-8. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Canada, North America (country/location of origin), Tasmania, USA

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten alone or mashed with sweeter fruit. Caution: The fruit should probably not be eaten in large quantities.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds or cuttings.

It is a short lived tree.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Benthamidia nuttallii;