# alternate-leaved dogwood

*Cornus alternifolia*

It is one of the only dogwood species in North America to have leaves arranged alternately along the stem rather than in opposite pairs.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Cornales › Cornaceae › Cornus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Moist, well-drained understories of deciduous forests, woodland edges, and cool ravines.
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (photosynthesis via sunlight, water, and soil nutrients).
- **Range:** Eastern United States, Southeastern Canada, Appalachian Mountains, Great Lakes Region
- **Size:** 4-8 meters tall with a wide, horizontal canopy spread.
- **Lifespan:** 30-50 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Dogwood anthracnose (fungal disease), habitat fragmentation, and competition from invasive species like buckthorn.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to the touch. Do not ingest the berries as they can cause mild nausea in humans; leave them for wildlife. Observe the unique tiered structure from a distance to avoid compacting the soil around its sensitive root system.

## About

Cornus alternifolia is a species of flowering plant in the dogwood family Cornaceae, native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland west to southern Manitoba and Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and Mississippi. It is rare in the southern United States. It is commonly known as green osier , alternate-leaved dogwood , and pagoda dogwood .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/b4c51818-eb92-42bd-b214-dd4dc88f4d69
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/54775
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornus alternifolia
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/8321465/medium.jpeg (Sarah Johnson, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.