Common Dogwood
Cornus sanguinea
The common dogwood is a deciduous shrub reaching heights of up to five meters, best known for its blood-red autumn foliage and red twigs in winter. In early summer, it produces white, flat-topped flower clusters with a pungent scent. By late summer, these develop into small, blackish-blue drupes that are inedible to humans but serve as a vital food source for birds.
Details
Habitat function
Provides shelter and nesting opportunities for songbirds; larval food plant for the Stegania cararia moth.
Nutrient uptake
Efficiently absorbs nitrogen and calcium from the soil.
Food source for
Birds (thrushes, warblers), wild bees, hoverflies, beetles.
Human use
Formerly used to extract lamp oil; wood used for tool handles and turnery; ornamental shrub.
Ecology
Ecological role
Pioneer woody plant, soil stabilizer, and important food source for over 20 bird species and numerous insects.
Competitor species
Other hedge shrubs like privet or blackthorn in similar habitats.
Ecosystem service
Erosion control through an intensive root system, windbreak, provision of nesting sites.
Threats
Habitat loss due to land consolidation and intensive agriculture.
Scientific profile
Profile
Protection & threats
Main threats
No immediate threat; locally affected by intensive watercourse maintenance or land conversion.