Expect a mature size around 6-10 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide (your results depend on moisture and light). It can grow in full sun, partial shade, or even deep shade, though flowering and fruiting are usually stronger with more light. Use it where soils stay consistently moist, or where the site can be occasionally wet; it is well suited to pond margins, low spots, and other places that stay damp after rain.

For best establishment, plant in a hole as deep as the root ball and water thoroughly. Mulch to keep roots cool and to help the soil hold moisture, keeping mulch a few inches back from the stems. Once established, this shrub is generally low-fuss; prune only as needed to shape, to thin crowded stems, or to remove older wood. If you want to encourage vigorous new stems, you can selectively cut a few of the oldest stems back to the base in late winter.

Silky Dogwood is also a practical choice for stream banks and naturalized slopes because its shrubby growth helps hold soil. It attracts pollinators when in bloom and supports butterflies, while birds make quick use of the fruit later in the season.

• Cold hardiness zone: 5-8 (-20 degrees F) - Contact your local extension to confirm hardiness if you are in a fringe zone (we cannot guarantee hardiness in fringe zones)
• Light: Full sun   Part sun   Shade
• Mature height: 72-120"
• Spread: 72-120"
• Tolerant of: Wet Conditions
• Attracts: Birds, Butterflies
• Edible: Yes
• Native to the U.S.: Yes