Silky Dogwood may look a little wilder and un-kempt than its cousins, Red Twig and Gray.  But it's beautiful in its way, and it is one of the best shrubs for wildlife.  Like other dogwoods it is a larval host for the Spring Azure butterfly, and it attracts bees, thrushes, cardinals and other songbirds, and woodpeckers.
 
     It has an open rounded form with an abundance of white spring flowers and deep blue fruits. It's best along streams or in moist, shady areas and is a good plant for slope stabilization.