Grey Dogwood wildlife value?

[Bowsnbucks]

Silky is the predominant type here. Everything seems to love it, deer, birds. Could probably propagate with cuttings?

How big are those silkies around your place?

 

[Teeder]

6'+ tall

 

[bigboreblr]

I planted some silky dogwood I propogated from cuttings in a nursery. Not sure if they'll survive zone 3 winters.

I'd take some marking tape or a paint pen and mark brnaches that have not been nibbled. See what they look like at the end of the winter If they're browsed or not.

Red is definitely pretty. They say silky is easier to make from cuttings. About straw sized pieces work best.

Got to see what I have leftover from tree fencing, might be starting a hedgerow betwwen my in-laws house and my backyard foodplot. Just a bit of privacy / food.

 

[Teeder]

Silky definitely gets browsed. I was watching a doe nibbling just before dark from my stand tonight. They hit it hard.

 

[bigboreblr]

Anybody done or seen a comparison of the dogwood types. Different soils, how far away from wetlands they tolerate.

Seen a thread where a guy maintains maple tree bushes. Cuts a 8 inch or so maple tree and lets branches sporut from it. Then keeps them trimmed to keep it deer level.

 

[Teeder]

I have lots of red maple here. I hinge them about every 5 years or so and it keeps a lot of green branches low. Tons of sprouts, too.

 

[gjs4]

We have tons of it in wNY. Tons. It is great bedding where as ROD is more of a browse

 

[Teeder]

6'+ tall

Correction, I'm looking at some from my stand that's a good 10'.

 

[ruskbucks]

Anybody done or seen a comparison of the dogwood types. Different soils, how far away from wetlands they tolerate.

Seen a thread where a guy maintains maple tree bushes. Cuts a 8 inch or so maple tree and lets branches sporut from it. Then keeps them trimmed to keep it deer level.

I always collect alot of cuttings in spring. Grey seems to like the drier/ high ground. Silky and red like wetlands with red preferring the wetter. I have red and Silky growing next to each other. Red is definitely preferred browse but even growing right next to each other they will still browse some silky.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

It seems to me like the gray gets browsed on the least. But that actually works to the advantage of actually forming a thicket.

 

[Tree Spud]

It seems to me like the gray gets browsed on the least. But that actually works to the advantage of actually forming a thicket.

I have pockets of grey dogwood and there are heavily used trails through them. It's a great cover shrub that is low on the browse preference scale. Does well in wetter soil. Great shrub to add diversity, wish I had more of it.

 

[Teeder]

How big are those silkies around your place?

Silky Dogwood Seed, IA Ecotype, Cornus amomum Seed, IA Ecotype

Thick, low vegetation provides excellent habitat for wildlife; abundant fruit is eaten by birds; blue berries in the fall.

www.ernstseed.com

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Silky Dogwood Seed, IA Ecotype, Cornus amomum Seed, IA Ecotype

Thick, low vegetation provides excellent habitat for wildlife; abundant fruit is eaten by birds; blue berries in the fall.

www.ernstseed.com

Thanks, Teeder! Did you buy yours from Ernst? Does Ernst sell seedlings - or just seed? I've bought seed mixes from them before for pollinator wildflowers.

 

[Teeder]

Thanks, Teeder! Did you buy yours from Ernst? Does Ernst sell seedlings - or just seed? I've bought seed mixes from them before for pollinator wildflowers.

No, mine were all here when I moved in. This county is covered in it. No exaggeration, but I bet there are a couple hundred acres of it within a 5 mile radius of me.

We called it "Red Brush" as kids and dreaded having to push it during rifle season. Always tons of deer in there though!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

No, mine were all here when I moved in. This county is covered in it. No exaggeration, but I bet there are a couple hundred acres of it within a 5 mile radius of me.

We called it "Red Brush" as kids and dreaded having to push it during rifle season. Always tons of deer in there though!

Crawford? Erie? McKean? You're in the NW, right?

 

[Teeder]

House is southern Erie, hunting property is northern Crawford.

 

[farmlegend]

Gray Dogwood? I'm a fan. Great cover, and it's easy to observe that it gets browsed by deer.

I have three dogwood shrubs growing at my farm - silky, gray, and red osier, in order of their abundance.
FWIW, I have not had much success in planting dogwood shrubs - mother nature does a much better job of it than I do.

I much prefer any of the dogwoods to my most abundant shrub - shrubby St. John's Wort. Yecch. Has toxic qualities that keep mammals from eating it.