Audubon® Native Roughleaf Dogwood

A backyard bird bonanza! Roughleaf Dogwood is a large shrub or small multi-stemmed tree that offers up plump white berries to birds and other wildlife in late summer and early fall. The high-fat, high-energy treats are a boon to migrating birds as well as to those that stick around all winter. Some species you are likely to see (depending on where you live) include Cedar Waxwings, robins, Purple Finches, Evening Grosbeaks, bluebirds, cardinals, kingbirds, and Downy Woodpeckers. Fabulous!

Everyone knows about the famous Flowering Dogwood Tree and its beautiful blossoms and bird-pleasing fruits. But there are many other, lesser-known native Dogwoods that serve wildlife as well. Roughleaf Dogwood is a shrubby cousin to Flowering Dogwood that tends to inhabit zones where forest meets prairie. As a result, it is most prevalent in the Lower Midwest, its range extending westward to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Unlike Silky Dogwood and Swamp Dogwood, to which it is related, Roughleaf Dogwood is often found growing in dry soils. It is thus more adaptable to general garden use.

You’ll want to plant this superb native Accent near your deck, patio, or living room or kitchen window, so you can watch the birds delight in its nourishing fruits. If birding is your goal, then bugs are not bad! Roughleaf Dogwood supports a wealth of caterpillars and other insects that many birds are eager to consume. Baby birds will benefit most of all, as the bugs their parents bring them are key to their healthy growth.