Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)

Family: Cornaceae | Edibility: Edible (2/5)

Red osier is a common ornamental garden plant with its deep red stems giving interest in the winter. It has potential as a fodder plant and as an industrial biomass crop. It makes an excellent hedge and provides effective erosion control on banks and slopes. It can grow in many different conditions, including wet soil. It is a fast-growing deciduous shrub to 2.5m (8ft) in full sun and semi-shade (light woodland).

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Berries, Nuts/Seeds

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. Juicy. Bitter and unpalatable according to some reports, it was mixed with other fruits such as juneberries (Amelanchier spp) and then dried for winter use by native North Americans. The fruit can cause nausea. — Fruit - raw or cooked.; Bitter and unpalatable according to some reports, it was mixed with other fruits such as juneberries (Amelanchier spp) and then dried for winter use by native North Americans.; The fruit can cause nausea.; The fruit is up to 9mm in diameter.

Habitat & North American Range

Shores and thickets. Along streams, rivers and moist sites, 450 - 2700 metres. (Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7)