ALTERNATE-LEAF DOGWOOD

or BLUE DOGWOOD

ALTERNATE-LEAF DOGWOOD or Blue Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

Alternate leaf dogwood occurs throughout the state as a shrub or small tree of up to 20 feet tall.

The leaves are alternate, entire, elliptic-ovate, and tend to be crowded at the ends of the twigs. They are 2 1/2-4 1/2 inches long, yellowish green, smooth above, and have appressed hairiness beneath.

The flowers appear in June after the leaves have developed and occur in creamy white clusters.

The fruit is a bluish black drupe, somewhat round, about 1/3 inch in diameter, and ripens in September and October.

The twigs are often lustrous, and are greenish brown. Dead twigs become bright yellow-green in color.