Plant Profile: Cornus wilsoniana

Names

Ghost Dogwood, Wilson's Dogwood

  • Photo of Cornus wilsoniana (Cornus wilsonianas)

Phonetic Spelling:KOR-nus wil-son-ee-AH-na

Genus:Cornus

Species:wilsoniana

Family:Cornaceae

Wilson's Dogwood is a large shrub or small tree that can be deciduous or semi-evergreen, originally from China. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained, organically rich, acidic soils. Its most striking feature is the ghost-white, smooth bark, complemented by attractive spring flowers and early fall fruits, making it an excellent choice for year-round visual interest in gardens. This plant flourishes best in cooler summer climates, so it's important to apply mulch around the root zone annually.

Regarding pests and diseases, Wilson's Dogwood generally faces no significant issues. However, it may occasionally be affected by insect pests such as borers, leaf miners, and scale. Additionally, it can experience minor diseases like canker, leaf spot, and root rot.

Cornus wilsoniana Feature Summary

Cornus wilsoniana Image Gallery

Tags

#deciduous
#small tree
#interesting bark
#specimen
#semi-evergreen
#white bark
#deciduous shrub
#spring flowers
#winter interest
#street tree
#year-round interest
#showy fruits
#lawn tree
#deer resistant
#fall fruits
#black fruits
#deciduous tree
#purple fruits
#fruits early fall

Similar Plants

Cornus wilsoniana Feature Summary

Fruit
Purple-black drupes in the fall
Purple/Lavender
Black
Flowers
Corymbose to paniculate cymes of small white 4 petaled flowers with no bracts appear in mid-spring. Flowers are tiny but a tree in full flower is very showy.
Corymb
Panicle
Cyme
4-5 petals/rays
Leaves
Simple, opposite, ellipical, pubescent, with entire margins 4" long, tapered at the base and tip.
Deciduous
Semi-evergreen
Elliptical
3-6 inches
Bark
Smooth ornamental white bark is very showy.
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Tree
Deciduous
Semi-evergreen
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
24-60 feet
12-24 feet
High Organic Matter
Landscape
Winter Garden
Specimen
Street Tree
Butterflies

Cornus wilsoniana Attributes

Cornus wilsoniana: Country Or Region Of Origin

China

Cornus wilsoniana: Wildlife Value

Flowers attract

Cornus wilsoniana: Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)

Twig blight

Cornus wilsoniana: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Cornus wilsoniana Fruit

Cornus wilsoniana: Fruit Description

Purple-black drupes in the fall

Cornus wilsoniana: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Cornus wilsoniana: Fruit Color

grass
Black
grass
Purple/Lavender

Cornus wilsoniana: Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Cornus wilsoniana: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Cornus wilsoniana Flowers

Cornus wilsoniana: Flower Description

Corymbose to paniculate cymes of small white 4 petaled flowers with no bracts appear in mid-spring. Flowers are tiny but a tree in full flower is very showy.

Cornus wilsoniana: Flower Color

filter_vintage
White

Cornus wilsoniana: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Cornus wilsoniana: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Cornus wilsoniana: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Cornus wilsoniana: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Cornus wilsoniana: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Cornus wilsoniana Leaves

Cornus wilsoniana: Leaf Description

Simple, opposite, ellipical, pubescent, with entire margins 4" long, tapered at the base and tip.

Cornus wilsoniana: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Cornus wilsoniana: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Cornus wilsoniana: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Cornus wilsoniana: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Cornus wilsoniana: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Cornus wilsoniana: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Cornus wilsoniana: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Cornus wilsoniana: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Cornus wilsoniana: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Cornus wilsoniana Bark

Cornus wilsoniana: Bark Description

Smooth ornamental white bark is very showy.

Cornus wilsoniana: Bark Color

grass
White

Cornus wilsoniana: Surface/Attachment

Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy

Cornus wilsoniana Whole Plant Traits

Cornus wilsoniana: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Cornus wilsoniana: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Cornus wilsoniana Cultural Conditions

Cornus wilsoniana: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Cornus wilsoniana: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Cornus wilsoniana: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Cornus wilsoniana: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Cornus wilsoniana: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Cornus wilsoniana: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Cornus wilsoniana Stem

Cornus wilsoniana: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Cornus wilsoniana Landscape

Cornus wilsoniana: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Cornus wilsoniana: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Cornus wilsoniana: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Cornus wilsoniana: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees