Grey Dogwood

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Cornus is a keystone genus in eastern North America, supporting 115 lepidoptera species as larval hosts. Six native Cornus species occur in the region, including C. racemosa, C. alternifolia, C. sericea, C. rugosa, and C. amomum. The genus provides critical breeding habitat for giant silk moths (Saturniidae) and tussock moths (Erebidae), forming an essential node in caterpillar-bird food webs.
S13 115 spp; S14 18 host records for C. racemosa
🐛 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 4 monolectic Cornus (Swida) specialists; S3 confirms A. fragilis, A. integra, A. persimulata
❄️ Winter Food Source: Drupes ripen Aug-Oct and are consumed by American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson's Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, and Eastern Kingbird. Fruit does not persist long on the plant, but bright red pedicels remain conspicuous into early winter. Hemenway lists Dogwood for fruit (Fr) and shelter (Sh) services to birds; the dense branching provides protective cover for wintering species.
S57 7 bird spp; S4 red pedicels persist; 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: Ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in Quebec versus S5 (Secure) in Ontario and G5 globally. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. The species reaches its northeastern range limit in southern Quebec; most Quebec herbarium specimens are concentrated in the Montreal lowlands (ecoregion 8.1.8) with fewer records in the Outaouais (ecoregion 5.2.3), suggesting a naturally sparse distribution at the northern edge of its range.
S22 QC S3, ON S5, G5; S26 not SARA listed; S54 20 QC specimens mostly Montreal area; S48 9 QC specimens in 5.2.3
Rarity Ranks: QC S3 – Vulnerable, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Grey dogwood occupies field edges, fencerows, swamp margins, and open woodlands across the Mixed Wood Shield and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence lowlands. It colonizes disturbed sites aggressively via rhizomes, forming dense thickets that stabilize soil and provide structural cover for nesting songbirds such as Gray Catbird and Yellow Warbler. In Quebec it is ranked S3 (Vulnerable), suggesting limited or declining habitat compared to its S5 (Secure) status in Ontario.
S6 fields, meadows, roadsides, fencerows, swamp margins; S10 open woodlands, savannas; S22 QC S3, ON S5; S10 nesting cover

Roles: Fire Retardant, Pollinator Attractor, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = High (not definitional)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 13 bee associations (threshold=3)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 7-2, pp. 116)]

Category: Analgesic, Antidiarrheal, Dermatological Aid, Gastrointestinal Aid, Hemorrhoid Remedy, Oral Aid, Orthopedic Aid, Pediatric Aid, Stimulant, Tuberculosis Remedy, Veterinary Aid
S28 Moerman 13 Drug records across Iroquois, Meskwaki, Ojibwa
Notes: Extensively used by Iroquois, Meskwaki, and Ojibwa peoples. Iroquois applied bark decoctions as poultices for cuts and swollen limbs postpartum. Meskwaki held bark infusions in the mouth for neuralgia and toothache, and used bark enemas for childhood flux. Ojibwa used bark infusions for flux and hemorrhoids. Meskwaki also used root infusions for consumption and smudged bark to revive unconscious patients. Bark was used by Ojibwa and Meskwaki as kinnikinnick (ceremonial smoking mixture).
S28 Moerman: Iroquois (Herrick 1977), Meskwaki (Smith 1928), Ojibwa (Smith 1932)

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: Not considered edible. Moerman records no food uses among Indigenous peoples. USDA rates palatability to humans as None.
S28 no food uses; S11 Palatable Human=No