Dogwood species identification help

Question: We have at least four different varieties of Dogwood on our property in Jericho. I am struggling with identification of several of the species. I would like help determining what they are so I know which ones are best to put in a mixed privacy screen with some cedars we have. Can you help me identify the species? And, can you tell me what the best Vermont Dogwood species are for a privacy screen? I'm attaching leaf pictures from the varieties in question. I have other pictures too.

responder: - - - Vermont Extension Master Gardener Volunteer - - -  Replied May 16, 2023, 11:26 AM EDT
response: Hi, Rebecca,  Thank you for your inquiry.  Foliage alone is pretty tough for identification purposes.  From what I can see from the structure of the plant, this appears to be a shrub.  Is that correct?  Did you plant these or were they growing on your property?  If naturally growing, for how long and how tall/wide are they?  What is the branch Winter color?  Does it change during the Summer?  Do you remember the color of the berries last Summer?  Will you please attach the following additional photos so I may assist you further?    Flower buds and open flower clusters (upload when available)Entire plantClose-up of buds and branches As for which dogwoods would make a suitable hedge, I would stay clear of the tree forms, and stick to the shrubs, including the following:Red-Osier Dogwood (Swida or Cornus sericea -- the botanical name recently changed from Cornus to Swida, so you may find these listed under either name)There are many subspecies and cultivars of this species, including S. alba, S. baileyi, +  S. stolinifera (may also be listed as S. sericea ssp. alba, etc.), which are commonly found at local nurseries, and range in color from red-/vermillion-twigged to yellow-twigged, with green or variegated foliage, and sized from 4 ft to 10 ft tall/wide. Gray Dogwood (Swida or Cornus racemosa) growing 10 to 15 ft high/wide No matter what plants you choose, I suggest working with plants grown from a nursery.  Why exactly?  The work of selecting a specimen specifically for it's density, twig coloration, floriferousness, and disease-resistance has already happened.  If you are feeling confident/enjoy experimenting, have a larger landscape (or permission on a friend's), and enjoy this process of observing (a favorite pastime of mine personally) and deciding which plants to propagate, then by all means, go for it!  It is a very satisfying act, though it will generally take longer for establishment and training the new plant for the garden landscape rather than untended life out in a field.  When you select for incorporating into your hedge, take note of the ultimate size of the shrubs and the existing cedars and space them appropriately so that as they reach their mature sizes, they will still receive sunlight to lower branches.  This will ensure that you won't have lower branch drop, particularly on the cedars.  I also recommend zig-zagging your plantings so that they 1) receive that sunlight and 2) create density by "layering" the plants to create the depth you want. Check out the resource list under the UVM-EMG site "Native Plants" and this amazing resource from the Native Plant Trust for help identifying future plant mysteries (and ask here, too!)  I also highly recommend checking out of your library or purchasing a copy of the UVM Extension publication Landscape Plants for Vermont by Dr. Norman Pellett + Dr. Mark Starrett.  Happy Spring!! Genica

responder: The Question Asker Replied May 16, 2023, 2:07 PM EDT
response: Hi Genica!I believe the 4 types of dogwood we found are all shrubs, not trees. They all grow naturally on this property and have been here for decades, per my inlaws. We have never paid too much attention to them. So, I neither know what they look like in other seasons, nor what their flowers or berries look like. See the photos attached1) Photos 51 and 49--many thin non-woody stalks from ground, opposite leaves, no teeth on leaves, green leaf stems, green-red main stem, prominent leaf veins2) Photos 47 and 48-- 1 to a few woody thick stalks from ground--opposite leaves, seem to be late leafing compared to the others, main stem red, leaf stems green, no teeth on leaves, prominent leaf veins (Gray dogwood ?????)3) 35 and 31-- Reddish, longer and thinner leaves, opposite leaves, smooth leaves, leaf stem green, main stem red, veins prominent with parallel ribs4) 33-- Alternate leaves-- pretty sure this is an Alternate leaf dogwood or PagodaI understand your nursery suggestion; I think we are more the experimenting type and would like to work with what we have.Does this information help at all to identify our bushes? (How do we know for sure these are bushes?)Kindly,Rebecca IMG_1531 2.JPG IMG_1533.JPG IMG_1535.JPG IMG_7047.JPG IMG_7048 2.JPG IMG_7049.JPG IMG_7051 2.JPGOn Tue, May 16, 2023 at 11:26 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: - - - Vermont Extension Master Gardener Volunteer - - -  Replied May 16, 2023, 2:55 PM EDT
response: Hi, Rebecca,  Glad to hear you are an experimenter :)  I can't look at the photos as they seem to be in a google drive folder.  Shrub vs. Tree is species dependent, so once I can see the pics, I think that will help.  Thanks so much!  I look forward to the next update. Genica

responder: The Question Asker Replied May 16, 2023, 8:23 PM EDT
response: Genica,I changed the permissions on the photos so you should be able to access them now. Keep me posted!RebeccaOn Tue, May 16, 2023 at 2:55 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: - - - Vermont Extension Master Gardener Volunteer - - -  Replied May 19, 2023, 8:28 PM EDT
response: Hi, again, Rebecca,  31 / 35 - Swida alternifolia - a tree!  certainly a small tree, but these are quite lovely when pruned to enhance their layered branching.  They have the prettiest foliage upon emergence and have striking Autumn coloration.  I think you could utilize these as part of a hedge if you have room to zig zag them, or use them intermittently so as they age, you can enjoy their form, but really utilize the lower growing shrubs to create the density you are after.  Or move them to a place where you might enjoy them from all sides, underplanted with various woodland perennials and bulbs.  33 - a cherry species, likely choke cherry (Prunus virginiana) - this one is great for making a small hedge as they are suckering / colonizing (sending out runners from one main plant) and provide excellent bird / insect habitat.  You can even make jelly from the juice, but each fruit is mostly the seed.  51 / 47-49 - still hard to say just from these photos.  Likely Swida sericea (which is leafing out now in Lamoille County), but could be Swida racemosa or Swida amomum.  On the links in the previous post, pay special attention to the left-hand column labeled "Sometimes confused with" -- more info is offered regarding pith (interior) color and various other characteristics.  I think berry color and full leaf-out will really help you determine who is living in your meadow.  But either way, all of these will make a good hedge.  Other good native hedge plants you may have growing are Viburnum, Hazelnut, shrub Willows and Alder, among others.  I would say when dealing with naturally growing plants, remember there can be a significant variety of coloration, growth habit, and nodal length, from both genetic variation and from environmental factors, just like us humans.  For example, S. sericea, is known as red-twig dogwood, yet the branches are most red (or yellow depending on variation) over the Winter and may be quite green during the warmer months, while older branches will appear gray or brown due to thickening bark.  It is all those little details of pith, sepal shape, leaf texture, fruit color, etc. which will help you determine what is what as you identify more of your natives.  Enjoy your experimentation -- the shrub dogwoods are easy to root from cuttings, too.  Just stick 12-18" cuttings from your known plants into the ground approximately 1/2 to 2/3 of the twig length, with leaf nodes facing up.  Make sure the soil remains moist for at least a month so they can root.  Cheers! Genica