Dog Wood(RED OSIER)

[Lee Lobbestael]

Hey guys does red osier (not sure of spelling) often grow near the dry edge of cattails? Also I heard it flowers, so in Michigan when would they bloom? I think I have some spotted by my house but would like to be sure before I try to turn them into arrows

[stickytoes]

What part of Michigan are you from? I am also curious about this topic cause I have some arrowee looking stuff growing also

[Shaun]

You can easily identify red osier by the red stems. I see it growing as plantings in yards and along the highway. Native around me is gray dogwood which is colony plant (lots of stems in a group like stream willow). Any woody straight stemmed shrub has potential as arrows.

[OkKeith]

Hey Lee,
 
Not sure about up your way, but we have several Dogwood species around here. Red Osier, Rough-leaf and Flowering Dogwood. All dogwoods have opposite branching arrangment (like Maples and Ashes). Meaning that stems on branches are accross from each other, rather than alternating like an Elm or Oak.

Dogwoods do flower. Ours are pretty much done. They are generally the first to bloom along with the Redbuds.

OkKeith

[Pat B]

Red osier does grow in Mich. I have a friend in the UP that has collect lots of it for arrows. If you Google red osier (Cornus sericea) you should find great pics of the plant, winter and summer as well as pics of flowers and fruit.
  FYI...okKeith, not all dogwoods(Cornus) have opposite leaves. Cornus alternifolia(pagoda dogwood) has alternate leaves and stems.
  And like Shaun said there are many shrubs and trees that have straight shoots that are appropriate for arrows.

[OkKeith]

Hey Pat,

Thanks for the info. We don't have Alternate-leaved Dogwood (Pagoda) around here. Didn't get that one in my undergrad Field Botany class.

It kinda messes up how I learned all the opposite trees, MADCapHippo. I used this as a way to memorize them.

Maples
Ashes
Dogwoods
CAPrifoliaceae (Honeysuckle family, including the Viburnams and Possumhaws)
HIPPOcastanaceae (Buckeye family, including the Horse Chestnuts)

For every rule there is an exception, except this rule. Proving the point.

Thanks again!

OkKeith

[Pat B]

The funny thing about pagoda dogwood is they were named when found around the pagodas of Japan. Then they realized they were American natives brought to Japan. I have quite a few growing wild on my property here in NC.