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cornejo del Pacífico

cornejo del Pacífico

Cornus nuttallii
El equivalente occidental del cornejo floreciente oriental — un pequeño árbol caducifolio de la costa del Pacífico con ramificación horizontal escalonada y copa redondeada a cónica. Sus llamativas "flores" primaverales son en realidad un apretado grupo central de pequeñas flores verdaderas de color verde-púrpura rodeadas por seis grandes brácteas blancas semejantes a pétalos (el cornejo floreciente oriental tiene cuatro). Las hojas elípticas de color verde oscuro adquieren tonos amarillos, anaranjados y rojos en otoño, y los frutos de 1/3 pulgada maduran hasta alcanzar un llamativo rojo o naranja brillante que alimenta a aves canoras, ardillas y venados.
Native: 4 US states + 1 CA province
Climate fit: narrow (29/100)
Focal point
Structure
Light
Full sun / Part sun / Part shade
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
180-480" tall · 120" apart
Hardy in zones
7a-9b
cold to frosty winters
AHS heat range
6-11
Plant range authored in AHS heat-zone terms.
Native in Illinois
No
A documented larval host for the Spring azure — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.

Cold hardiness

Future
These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Won't grow here
2050
Zone 7a
Plotwright
Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).
Marginal
In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.
✕→⚠
Out of range today, but marginally possible by 2050.

Heat tolerance

Future
Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.
Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

Sources & citations

Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). cornejo del Pacífico (Cornus nuttallii). Retrieved 2026, June 14, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/cornus-nuttallii
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited - 18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY 2.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Database
Botanical research database