When does stiff dogwood bloom?

Stiff dogwood typically flowers from April through June, producing flat clusters of small white blooms at the branch tips.

How much light does stiff dogwood need?

It grows best in part sun but can adapt to full sun or part shade, especially when soil moisture stays consistent.

Does stiff dogwood tolerate wet soil?

Yes. It is often found along stream banks, pond edges, and swamp margins, and it handles both consistently wet and medium-moisture soils well.

What insects are attracted to stiff dogwood flowers?

Its spring flowers draw bees, beetles, and wasps, which visit for pollen and nectar.

Is stiff dogwood evergreen or deciduous?

Stiff dogwood is deciduous, dropping its leaves in fall after a period of color change.

Is Stiff Dogwood toxic to livestock?

The USDA PLANTS Database does not flag Stiff Dogwood as toxic to livestock.

Is Stiff Dogwood HOA-friendly?

Stiff Dogwood takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Stiff Dogwood

Name: Pollinator Patch
Author: Pollinator Patch

Cornus foemina

Last reviewed: September 2026

Cornus foemina, or stiff dogwood, is a multi-stemmed shrub that produces clusters of small white flowers from April through June. It grows well in part sun and favors moist to wet soils along stream banks, swamp edges, and low woodland areas.

Toxicity unknown

Stiff Dogwood (Cornus foemina) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

The USDA PLANTS Database (opens in new tab) does not flag Stiff Dogwood as toxic to livestock.

Light

part sun

Water

medium

Size

72"–240" H × 72"–180" W

Bloom

Apr, May, Jun

Native to

AL, AR, DE, FL and 15 more states

Pollinators

bees, beetles, wasps

Before you buy

Your city may pay you to plant this

Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 452 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.

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Browse plants for this ecoregion

Texas Blackland Prairies Western Gulf Coastal Plain South Central Plains Eastern Temperate Forests Ozark Highlands Piedmont Driftless Area Eastern Corn Belt Plains Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain Southeastern Plains Ridge and Valley Interior Plateau Interior River Valleys and Hills Mississippi Alluvial Plain Mississippi Valley Loess Plains Southern Coastal Plain Southern Florida Coastal Plain

Stiff dogwood is a native shrub that produces clusters of small white flowers in late spring and early summer. It grows into a substantial rounded shrub that can reach 6-20 feet tall and wide, making it suitable for larger landscape areas where you need screening or background planting.

Growing Stiff Dogwood

Grow Stiff Dogwood in part sun and medium water. Mature plants reach 72 to 240 inches tall and spread 72 to 180 inches wide. Expect moderate maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.

In an HOA neighborhood

Stiff Dogwood takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: moderate. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Works well in: backyard only.

Extremely large size inappropriate for most residential settings
Can appear unstructured and wild
May be viewed as too informal for front yard landscaping

Wildlife value

The flowers attract bees, beetles, and wasps during the blooming period from April through June. Birds often feed on the berries that follow the flowers in late summer.

Common questions

When does stiff dogwood bloom?: Stiff dogwood typically flowers from April through June, producing flat clusters of small white blooms at the branch tips.
How much light does stiff dogwood need?: It grows best in part sun but can adapt to full sun or part shade, especially when soil moisture stays consistent.
Does stiff dogwood tolerate wet soil?: Yes. It is often found along stream banks, pond edges, and swamp margins, and it handles both consistently wet and medium-moisture soils well.
What insects are attracted to stiff dogwood flowers?: Its spring flowers draw bees, beetles, and wasps, which visit for pollen and nectar.
Is stiff dogwood evergreen or deciduous?: Stiff dogwood is deciduous, dropping its leaves in fall after a period of color change.
Is Stiff Dogwood toxic to livestock?: The USDA PLANTS Database does not flag Stiff Dogwood as toxic to livestock.
Is Stiff Dogwood HOA-friendly?: Stiff Dogwood takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.

Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

If something looks wrong

Common plant problems, and what to check first

These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.

See all plant problem guides

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