Plant native: silky dogwood

Silky Dogwood, Cornus amomum Height: 10-12’ Spread: 8-10’ Sun: Full sun to Part Shade Water: Medium/dry soils in part shade to wet soils in full sun

Silky dogwood (Cornus amomum) is named for the silky gray hairs that cover the undersides of leaves and twigs. It has flat-topped creamy white flowers in spring that attract pollinators. The dark green foliage turns a beautiful reddish-purple to burgundy in fall. Older stems are gray-brown with reddish-brown tips, a highlight in the winter landscape. In late summer it produces clusters of pale blue berries that are high in food value for song birds. Silky dogwood shrubs work well in moist, naturalized areas and will stabilize the soil in erosion-prone sites.

Native plant recommendations from the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, plantnebraska.org