Roughleaf Dogwood
Cornus asperifolia
Found in moist calcareous forests and thickets, shell middens, calcareous hammocks. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you
95
Keystone
Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 94%
- Height
- Up to about 12 feet
- Light
- Partial shade, Full shade, Full sun
- Soil moisture
- Dry to moist
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Bloom
- April to June
- Fruiting season
- August to September
JFMAMJJASOND
Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves
Recorded in 16 Alabama counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 3
Dense, evergreen groves of live oak, magnolia and other hardwoods in the southern Coastal Plain, from dry oak domes to wet hydric hammocks and south Florida's tropical hammocks; salt-shaped maritime hammocks are maritime forests.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
93CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL
Genus host records with ranges including AL · Cornus
- Celastrina ladonSpring Azure
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
- Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
- Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
- Acronicta longaLong-Winged Dagger, Darkish Dagger
- Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
- Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
- Ancylis muricanaRed-Headed Ancylis
Show all 93
- Antaeotricha leucillanaWell-Marked Leaf Tier, Pale Gray Bird-Dropping Moth
- Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
- Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
- Archips griseaGray Archips
- Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
- Archips rileyanaSouthern Ugly-Nest Caterpillar Moth
- Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
- Caloptilia belfragellaDogwood Caloptilia
- Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
- Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
- Cenopis diluticostanaSpring Dead-Leaf Roller Moth, Oak Cenopis
- Choristoneura fractivittanaBroken-Banded Leafroller, Lined Corn-Borer Moth
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Citheronia regalisRoyal Walnut Moth, Hickory Horned Devil
- Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
- Dasychira basiflavaYellow-Based Tussock Moth
- Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
- Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
- Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
- Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
- Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
- Euchlaena irrariaLeast-Marked Euchlaena
- Euchlaena johnsonariaJohnson's Euchlaena
- Euchlaena marginariaOchre Euchlaena
- Euchlaena serrataThe Saw-Wing
- Eudeilinia herminiataNorthern Eudeilinia [for Eudeilinia herminiata], Dogwood Caterpillar, Southern Eudeilinia [for Eudeilinia luteifera]
- Eumarozia malachitanaSculptured Moth
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Euplexia benesimilisAmerican Angle Shades
- Euthyatira pudensDogwood Thyatirid
- Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
- Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
- Haploa leconteiLeconte's Haploa
- Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
- Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
- Hypena abalienalisWhite-Lined Bomolocha, White-Lined Snout
- Hypena bijugalisDimorphic Bomolocha, Dimorphic Snout
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
- Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
- Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
- Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
- Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
- Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
- Melanolophia signatariaSignate Melanolphia
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Morrisonia evictaBicolored Woodgrain
- Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
- Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
- Olethreutes inornatanaInornate Olethreutes
- Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia garmaniGarman's Quaker
- Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
- Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
- Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Parasa chlorisSmaller Parasa, Green Slug Moth
- Parasa indeterminaStinging Rose Caterpillar Moth, Rose Slug Caterpillar
- Pero morrisonariaMorrison's Pero
- Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
- Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
- Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
- Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
- Probole alienariaDogwood Probole, Alien Probole
- Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
- Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
- Rifargia subrotataSmall Heterocampa
- Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
- Synanthedon geliformisPecan Bark Borer Moth
- Synanthedon scitulaDogwood Borer, Pecan Borer
- Syndemis afflictanaFall Dead-Leaf Roller, Gray Leafroller, Black-and-Grey Banded Leafroller
- Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Tortricidia pallidaRed-Cross Button Slug
- Xanthotype urticariaFalse Crocus Geometer
- Zale aeruginosaGreen-Dusted Zale
- Zale undularisBlack Zale
- Acleris ptychogrammos
- Carposina ottawana
- Paralobesia rhoifructana
15BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Cornus
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
4Specialist beesPollen specialists
Pollen specialists · Swida
- Andrena fragilis
- Andrena integra
- Andrena persimulata
- Andrena platyparia
28BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Cornus
- Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
- Hylocichla mustelinaWood Thrush
- Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
- Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
- Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
- Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
- Catharus fuscescensVeery
- Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
- Catharus minimus/bicknelliGray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush
- Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
Show all 28
- Coccothraustes vespertinusEvening Grosbeak
- Contopus virensEastern Wood-Pewee
- Empidonax alnorum/trailliiAlder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill's Flycatcher)
- Empidonax flaviventrisYellow-bellied Flycatcher
- Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
- Melanerpes erythrocephalusRed-headed Woodpecker
- Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
- Patagioenas fasciataBand-tailed Pigeon
- Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
- Sayornis nigricansBlack Phoebe
- Tachycineta bicolorTree Swallow
- Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
- Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird
- Vireo gilvusWarbling Vireo
- Vireo griseusWhite-eyed Vireo
- Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
- Vireo philadelphicusPhiladelphia Vireo
- Vireo solitariusBlue-headed Vireo
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Cornaceae
- Flower color
- White
- Fruit begins
- August
- Fruit ends
- September
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “April to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “White” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Fruit begins · “August” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Fruit ends · “September” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Height · “Up to about 12 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Light · “Partial shade; Full shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
- primary_flower_color · “white” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Soil · “Dry; Moist (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Also known as
Cornus asperifolia
Conservation status
| Alabama rank | SNR |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G4 |
| AL status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
Choose a county to begin.
Sources
- Alabama Plant Atlas
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- FloraQuest: South Central (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- FloraQuest: Florida (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- NatureServe Explorer
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications