silky dogwood

noun

variants or less commonly silky cornel

: either of two deciduous North American shrubs of moist areas having silky hairs on the leaves and shoots, reddish purple to reddish brown twigs and young branches, and flat-topped clusters of whitish flowers:

a

: a shrub (Cornus amomum) with a compact habit of growth and pale to dark blue berrylike fruits

b

: a closely related shrub (Cornus obliqua) with a looser habit of growth and blue to whitish fruit

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

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