Cornus alternifolia - Flowering Tree - Alternate-leaved Dogwood, Alternateleaf Dogwood, Pagoda Dogwood Page

The Cornus alternifolia, also known as the Alternate-leaved Dogwood, is an easily grown plant that can thrive in any soil of good or moderate fertility, ranging from acid to shallow chalk. This species is unusual as it has alternate leaves while almost all other members of this genus have opposite leaves. It is a small tree with horizontal branching habit, creating a tiered effect that is attractive due to its wide-spreading shelving branches and flat-topped head. This tree is often used for ornamental plantings. It is native to eastern North America and is commonly found in open deciduous trees, margins of forests, and swamps. The Cornus alternifolia is known to be shade-tolerant and can grow in mature as well as younger forests. Its fruits provide food for at least eleven species of birds and the black bear, while the leaves and bark are eaten by white-tailed deer, beaver, and cottontail rabbit. This tree has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, and its cultivar 'Argentea' is an attractive silver pagoda dogwood.