Alternate-leaf Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

Small, deciduous, spring-flowering native tree

Yellowish white flowers in 2-3 inch cymes; dark green, prominently veined leaves and dark blue fruits 

Origin: North America

This North American species, first discovered in 1760, grows from eastern Canada to Minnesota through the south to Georgia and Alabama. John Bartram, the early Philadelphia naturalist and nurseryman, listed it as Cornus sylvestris in his 1783 broadside. Alternate-leaf Dogwood is a desirable plant both during the growing season and in winter when the tree’s glossy, purple-brown bark adds interest to the landscape. The fruits are attractive to birds but the foliage is not attractive to deer.