'Other' dogwood trees earn a place with wildlife enthusiasts

Flowering dogwood trees are enormously popular. Their large blooms help usher in spring, making them a feast for the eyes and perhaps help secure a place as Missouri's state tree.

What many people do not know is that there are other types of dogwood trees, and that they are all appropriate for wildlife.

Missouri is home to six species of dogwood, five of which reside in Southeast Missouri. All occurring in the genus Cornus, these deciduous shrubs have commonality. All these shrubs provide food and cover for birds, small mammals and insects. Each blooms in spring and produces fruit in summer or fall depending on the species. The leaves look remarkably similar but a keen eye can tell them apart. They all are shrubby trees that are excellent for nesting birds.

Unlike flowering dogwood, the other dogwoods do not have large blooms. Although the flowers are similar in structure, they are a fraction of the size. Most are fast growing, and some spread by underground stems. For this reason they may not be good for yard use.

Fast-growing dogwoods such as the gray dogwood, swamp dogwood and rough-leaved dogwood are excellent thickets and windbreaks. They provide cover for rabbits, squirrels, ground hogs and quail and are nesting sites for birds such as the picky Bell's vireo. In less than three years a quality wildlife thicket can be created using dogwood species. These thickets can be crucial for predator escape and protection from the elements.

When it comes to food it's hard to beat the dogwoods. Rough-leaved dogwood leads the pack providing dinner for 40 species of birds. That is incredible wildlife value. Mammals like squirrels and white-tail deer join wild turkey, quail, cedar waxwings, robins and mockingbirds in enjoying rough-leaved dogwood fruits. The stems eagerly are nibbled by rabbits and other plant-eating mammals.

Another plus for the dogwoods is that they provide a great improvement over autumn olive. This exotic shrub is aggressive and can cause problems for other native plants through crowding and shading. While autumn olive was promoted as a fast growing windbreak that provided cover and wildlife food, it does not compare to the dogwoods. Bird usage of autumn olive is half or even a third of what a dogwood will receive. Even though 15 species of birds eat autumn olive fruit they do not eat it as often as they would dogwood or other native berry-producing shrubs.

If you are interested in planting dogwood shrubs you have several choices. MDC's George O. White Nursery has rough-leaved, gray, swamp and flowering dogwood available in seedling form. Call your local MDC office for a seedling order form, or order online at www.conservation.state.mo.us/forest/nursery/seedling. You can contact a grow native source at www.grownative.org.

Site conditions will dictate which dogwood is suited for your land. Look carefully at moisture availability and sunlight before selecting a species. See the dogwood specifications chart for additional detail.

Planting dogwood shrubs of any kind is likely to increase the appeal your place holds for wildlife. Consider which dogwoods would be best suited for your location, and see for yourself what relatives of the official state tree can do.

A.J. Hendershott is an area agent for the Missouri Department of Conservation.