IRISH SETTER™ gray dogwood got its name from the reddish orange winter stems of newer growth. White flowers appear in May and June, giving way to white berries on showy red stems in late summer. The pinkish pedicels remaining after the fruit has fallen or been devoured by birds provide a showy display into winter.

Members of the genus Cornus, commonly known as dogwoods, are welcome in the home garden for their multi-season interest -- be it flowers, fruit, foliage, and/or bark -- and their range of forms from small trees to suckering shrubs. The dominant display, however, varies among the species.

Dogwoods are native to cooler temperate areas of North America and Asia. The genus includes 45-60 species, divided into subgenera about which taxonomists disagree. The Chicago Botanic Garden's collection includes almost 100 varieties of dogwood from 20 species (7 of which are native) and over 2,400 plants.