Cornaceae FAMILY

Cornus sericea

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Cornus sericea is a deciduous shrub that produces a cluster of stems up to 4 metres tall. This species does not have a rhizomatous rootstock, though branches occasionally arch to the ground and form new roots at the leaf nodes, thus forming a thicket of growth[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental where it can be used as a ground cover. The plant is considered to have invasive tendencies in parts of Europe - it is on the alert list for Belgium and Switzerland and there are almost 20 instances in Ireland where the plant has become established in the wild, mainly in wetland woods, where it may threaten biodiversity[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeN. America - Alaska to Newfoundland, south to California and central Mexico, New Mexico and Virginia

HabitatShores and thickets[ 43 Title Gray's Manual of Botany.Eighth Edition Publication Author Fernald. M. L. Publisher American Book Co.; New York Year 1950 ISBN 0442222505 Description A bit dated but a good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America. ]. Wet meadows, thickets, edges of mesic upland forests, fens, marshes, swamps, stream banks, lake shores, river banks; at elevations up to 2,500 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].