A variety of bird species eat the fruits and disperse the seeds below perching sites. At least one report suggests that gray dogwood seeds have a low rate of germination. Dormancy may not be broken during the first winter following deposition. Its ability to effectively spread vegetatively may compensate for a lower reproduction by seeds. Groundcover vegetation diminishes beneath thickets of gray dogwood although annual weeds can persist.
Gray dogwood is a native shrub that is a natural component of many woodland and prairie communities.
Eradication of this plant is not practical nor desirable. Managers who are concerned by the abundance of gray dogwood on a particular managed area should determine the desired abundance of the shrub on the site before setting goals for control. A sequence of historical aerial photos can be helpful in confirming or refuting the belief that this shrub is increasing coverage at the expense of prairie groundcover on a given site. A knowledge of appropriate levels of shrub cover will allow informed decisions regarding the need for control. By crowding out native prairie grasses and forbs, gray dogwood can reduce the habitat available for a prairie groundcover.