Our native Pacific dogwood, Cornus nuttallii. is a graceful open-branched tree. In the spring, its brilliant white flowers (actually small greenish flowers, surrounded by six petal-like, white bracts) light up the shade under our tall evergreen trees, such as Douglas and grand firs, Western hemlock and giant sequoia. Its growing companions are often Pacific rhododendron, oceanspray, snowberry and California wax myrtle.

You will find Pacific dogwood growing in the wild along the coast from Southern British Columbia to Southern California. It can be either single or multi-trunked. Generally no taller than around 20-30' in the home garden, it has been known to reach as much as 60' tall in the wild. Its flowers mature to red fruit (nuts) in September and October. Those fruit, plus the fall color of its leaves (yellow, peach and red) make at fine addition to the fall landscape. The fruit is consumed by various birds, small mammals and bear.