Stiff dogwood is a deciduous flowering shrub or small tree native to the east-central and Southeastern United States. Its habitats include the banks of streams and rivers, ponds and lakes and floodplain forests. It is a member of the dogwood family (Cornaceae). The meaning of the species epithet, which is Latin for “feminine,” is obscure. This tree or shrub prefers full sun to partial shade and is very tolerant of wet soil conditions. Soil texture can be sand or loam. It tolerates a wide range of soil pH. The plant may be reproduced by seeds. Stiff dogwood offers attractive red twigs, clusters of showy white flowers in the spring and pale blue to blue-violet fruits in the fall. The tree or shrub may grow from 10 to 25 feet tall. Stiff dogwood is usually multi-trunked. The pith of the tree is white. The bark is reddish-brown on young plants and becomes gray and furrowed with age. The upper surface of the leaves is dark green and smooth, and the lower surfaces are pale gray-green with sparse hairs. The flowers are creamy-white and appear on the terminal ends of branches in the spring. The fruit is a blue drupe that is produced in the fall. The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bees, wasps, flies, and butterflies. The leaves serve as food for the spring azure butterfly larvae. The fruits are eaten by many songbirds, raccoons, black bears, squirrels and chipmunks. Deer and rabbits will eat the foliage and twigs. The stiff dogwood is not as showy as the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). The tan pith of the gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) distinguishes it from the stiff dogwood, which has white pith. Red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea) is also similar to the stiff dogwood, but it has white drupes. The stiff dogwood would be a good specimen for wet sites near ponds or streams since it is tolerant to poorly drained soils. The plant may do well for naturalizing or borders in moist and soggy sites. It would be a good choice for a rain garden, native garden or pollinator garden. Quick ID Hints: wet soils tolerant the bark and larger branches are gray smaller branches are brown and smooth young twigs are hairless, red, and have a white pith the upper leaf surface is smooth and medium to dark green the lower leaf surface has sparse hairs and is grayish-green reddish-purple fall foliage white flowers are arranged in clusters and have an unpleasant scent the fruit is a fleshy blue to blue-violet drupe Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: There are no serious pests or diseases. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center has a factshee t on common pests and diseases. More information on Cornus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
24-60 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Ascending; Multi-trunked; Rounded
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate; Oblanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The leaves are elliptical, lanceolate, or oblanceolate in shape with entire margins. The base of the leaf is rounded, and the tip is acuminate. The midvein is red and there are 3 to 4 secondary veins. The upper leaf surface is smooth and dark green. The lower leaf surface is sparsely hairy and grayish-green.
Fall color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The tiny white flowers form in clusters or cymes with stamens and stigma extending above each blossom. The flower has 4 petals. They bloom from late spring to early summer. The flower's scent is reported as unpleasant. After blooming they are replaced by a seeded drupe.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Blue
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
A two-seeded drupe replaces the spent blooms. The drupe is blue in color and 1/4" in diameter.
Bark color
Dark Gray; Light Brown; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The bark is reddish-brown on young trees. As the tree ages, the bark becomes gray and furrowed.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The young stems may be green or red and later turn reddish-brown. The stems turn gray as the tree ages. The younger branches' pith is white and appears tan in older branches.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
East Central and Southeast United States
Distribution
Native: AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NJ, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, and VA
Wildlife value
They attract bees, wasps, flies and butterflies. The fruits are a source of food for birds and small mammals.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds; Specialized Bees