Alternate-leaved Dogwood

Cornus alternifolia

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Cornus supports 115 lepidoptera species in the Ottawa-Gatineau ecoregion, placing it among the most important woody genera for caterpillar biodiversity. As an understory tree producing abundant fruit and hosting diverse moth and butterfly larvae, it anchors forest food webs linking invertebrate herbivores to insectivorous birds.
S13 115 lepidoptera spp; S10 many insect feeders; S57 6 bird spp documented
🐛 Larval Host: Orgyia definita, Xanthotype sospeta, Acronicta funeralis, Schizura concinna, Antheraea polyphemus, Automeris io, Hyalophora cecropia, Orgyia leucostigma, Hypena bijugalis, Eudeilinia herminiata
S13+S15 10 verified Eastern NA
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Andrena fragilis, Andrena integra, Andrena persimulata, Andrena platyparia
S17 Fowler pollen specialists on Cornus (Swida)
❄️ Winter Food Source: Dark blue drupes ripen in late summer and persist into fall, consumed by American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Red-eyed Vireo, and Veery. Fruit on conspicuous red pedicels also attracts Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, and woodpeckers. White-tailed Deer browse twigs and foliage, while Cottontail Rabbit gnaws bark in winter.
S57 6 bird spp; S10 grouse, turkey, woodpeckers, mammals; S72 Fr,Sh bird services

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Secure in Ontario (S5) and Apparently Secure in Quebec (S4). Globally ranked G5 with IUCN status LC. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Common in the Ottawa-Hull region and widely distributed across eastern North America from Newfoundland to Manitoba south to Florida and Arkansas.
S22 G5, S5-ON, S4-QC, IUCN LC; S26 not SARA listed; S63 Common in Ottawa-Hull
Rarity Ranks: QC S4 – Apparently Secure, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: A characteristic understory tree of rich, mesic deciduous and mixed forests in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, typically beneath sugar maple-beech-ash canopies. Occurs on moist, well-drained slopes and along woodland borders, occasionally extending into floodplains and cedar swamps. Its horizontal branching habit creates a distinctive pagoda-like silhouette in the forest understory.
S10 mesic deciduous woodlands; S7 deciduous and mixed forests, understory; S4 rich woods, rocky slopes; S29 dry woods, rocky slopes

Roles: Pollinator Attractor, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 6 bee associations (threshold=3)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 7-2, pp. 116)]
Notes: An excellent understory component in woodland garden guilds, providing multi-season wildlife value through spring flowers (pollinator attractor), summer-fall fruit (bird food), and horizontal branching structure (nesting cover and shelter). Hemenway lists Cornus in bird-service guilds for fruit and shelter. Best sited at sunny woodland edges or in dappled shade beneath a deciduous canopy.
S72 Table 7-2, bird_services=Fr,Sh; S10 nesting sites, protective cover; S29 Woodland Garden Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade

Category: Analgesic, Anthelmintic, Antidiarrheal, Astringent, Diaphoretic, Febrifuge, Ophthalmic, Stimulant
S28 Cherokee and Chippewa medicinal categories; S29 PFAF medicinal listing
Notes: Extensively used by Cherokee, Chippewa, and Iroquois peoples. Bark chewed for headache (analgesic); root bark used as astringent, febrifuge, stimulant, and tonic; compound infusion of bark and root for childhood diseases including worms and measles. Inner bark infusion taken for lost voice, coughs, colds, and flu. Bark poultice applied to ulcers, swellings, and blisters. Chippewa used root decoction as eye wash. 46 ethnobotanical use records documented by Moerman.
S28 46 uses across Cherokee, Chippewa, Iroquois; S29 astringent, diaphoretic, febrifuge, ophthalmic, stimulant

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: No edible uses documented. Fruits are small, sour, and bitter. PFAF rates edibility as 0 out of 5 with no known edible uses. USDA classifies human palatability as none.
S29 Edibility 0/5, None known; S11 Palatable Human=No; S4 dry, bitter fruits; S10 ripe berries are sour and bitter