Cornus alternifolia #3 (Pagoda Dogwood)

Pagoda Dogwood, also called Alternate-leaved Dogwood, is an elegant small tree or large shrub with a distinctive tiered, horizontal branching pattern and the only Dogwood with alternate rather than oppositely arranged leaves. The flowers are creamy white with a pungent, sweet fragrance which last for 2-3 weeks in late spring, offering both pollen and nectar to insect visitors. There is a specialist (oligolectic) bee that visits the flowers for pollen, Andrena fragilis. Greenish pink fruits follow flowering, maturing to blue-black and held upright on red pedicels in summer. These fruits are highly attractive to birds and mammals because of their generous fat and caloric content. At least 98 bird species* eat Dogwood berries. At least 118 species** of Lepidoptera host on Cornus spp. including the Spring Azure, Summer Azure, and the Polyphemus Moth. Dogwoods are among the most important trees and shrubs in terms of wildlife value.

Pagoda Dogwood prefers a moist, cool soil to thrive in. Drought and blazing afternoon sun can lead to a stressed plant, so it is advisable to keep the root zone mulched and well watered. The architectural form of the tiered branching habit makes for a striking specimen plant, especially near ponds or water features. They can be used in naturalized plantings at the woods edge, or in the shrub border or reaching gracefully over a patio.

Sources:
Native Trees, Shrubs, & Vines by William Cullina
Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael A. Dirr
**Midwestern Native Shrubs and Trees by Charlotte Adelman & Bernard L. Schwartz
*Gardening for the Birds by George Adams
Missouri Botanical Garden
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Illinois Wildflowers

Photo Credits:
Mature Individual: Plant Image Library from Boston, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Flowering: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Fruit Detail: Cody Hough, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons