Creek dogwood is an attractive, multi-stemmed shrub from 2-6 meters tall. The younger twigs are bright red to reddish-purple and gray-green on older twigs. The twigs commonly root upon contacting moist soil. The leaves are oval, dark shiny green above, and lighter below (See leaves below.). The leaves are 4-12 cm long and prominently veined. The leaves appear opposite on the twigs, and have entire margins. The blades are ovate, obovate, or ovate-elliptic in shape.

The flowers are in flat-topped cymes, with the flower heads lacking the large white bracts of its cousins. The white petals are small, from 2-4 mm long. Plants may flower both in spring as well as in the fall. The berries are white and 7-9 mm long.

Creek dogwood is found on wet forest sites, frequently along streams, in ditches, or in wetland swales.

Creek dogwood is found over much of North America. Variety occidentalis is found from Alaska south to California and east to Idaho, Nevada and into western Montana. Variety stolonifera is found from Alaska south through British Columbia to northeastern Washington and northern Idaho and eastward to the Rocky Mts. and hence south to Mexico. It is found eastward to Missouri, Pennsylvania and Newfoundland.

1. Ornamental shrub.

2. Wood is strong, used for tool handles.

3. Small straight stems, once called dags (hence the original plant name- dagwood), which are used as skewers for campfire cooking.

4. The bark was at one time dried and used as a tea for treating colds & flu.

5. The inner bark was once used in tobacco mixtures and for tanning or drying animal hides.

6. The white, sour berries were occasionally eaten.

7. Wildlife browse the twigs, leaves and berries.