APPEARANCE
Red-Osier dogwood is a shrub (1-4 metres tall) with pointed oval leaves, bright red stems, white/green flowers and small white or blueish berries.
RANGE & HABITAT
Find this dogwood in moist soils near wetlands and rivers throughout North America, from Newfoundland and New York to Alaska, B.C. and northern California.
LIFE CYCLE
This shrub spreads easily: it has many stems, and often lower branches touch the ground and put down roots.
ANIMAL USES
Red-osier dogwood provides an important source of winter food for moose, elk and deer.
TRADITIONAL USES BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
The berries are edible (in spite of their bitterness) and boiled bark is used as a poultice to relieve pain and swelling.
OTHER USES
The striking red stems of the Red-Osier dogwood make them a popular ornamental plant.
STATUS
COSEWIC: Not at Risk
CDC: Yellow
MORE INFORMATION
Photo: Dan Mullen
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