Grey Dogwood - tree form

These days we’re bombarded with the news that wildlife habitat is being destroyed all around us, but we CAN do something about it. We can plant native trees! Planting native trees is one of the best things to do for the health of the planet, and Grey Dogwood is a great place to start. This unsung native hauls in songbirds with its shiny white fruits and feeds butterflies and countless other critters that are important to the local ecosystem. “But I don’t have room for a Dogwood,” you say? Well, this one is a compact variety that maxes out at around 10-15 feet tall and wide!

We’ve got a bone to pick with whoever named this tree. Grey Dogwood? Come on. This native plant and the wildlife attracted to it bring color year-round. Dainty Spring Azure butterflies lay their eggs on the creamy flower buds. The stark-white fruits, each stamped with a black dot, look like Cookie Monster eyeballs and haul in songbirds by the droves. The stalks that hold the fruits (known as “pedicels”) are watermelon-red and persist after the fruit has been devoured. Grey Dogwood? This plant needs a marketing makeover!

While the Grey Dogwood is typically grown as a shrub, this extraordinary specimen is clearly unique! Grafted onto a straight trunk, this tree form version is perfect for around the patio or used as a focal point. The older stems are gray while the younger stems tend to be more tan or reddish brown. Foliage is gray-green in spring, turns darker in summer, and changes to purplish-red in fall. It also showcases some cool white berries! Plant one today!