Virginia Tech Dendrology

Tatarian dogwood Cornaceae Cornus alba L. symbol:
Leaf: Opposite, simple, ovate to elliptical, 2 to 4 inches long, entire margins, distinctive arcuate veination, pointed to acuminate tip, green above and considerably paler below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; small (1/4 inch across), dull yellow white in flat top clusters, 2 to 3 inches across, appearing in late spring to early summer.
Fruit: Dull white drupe, 1/4 inch across in round clusters 2 to 3 inches across, mature in late summer; seeds are pointed at both ends.
Twig: Slender, maybe finely hairy, reddish but color varies depending on cultivar (some are bright yellow); buds small and pointed with rusty hairs, flower buds are slightly more swollen.
Bark: Red green developing thin brown cork.
Form: Upright suckering shrub with an open loose crown up to 6 feet tall.
Looks like: red-osier dogwood - silky dogwood - gray dogwood - roughleaf dogwood

Additional Range Information: Cornus alba is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links:
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information