Alternate-leaf Dogwood is also known as Pagoda Dogwood, Blue Dogwood, or Green Osier Dogwood.

The plant is an upright shrub or small tree, with a short trunk and flat-topped spreading crown of long, horizontal branches. The twigs sometime appear red on the top surface and in shaded locations the trunk may also appear reddish. Its preferred habitat is moist soils in the understory of hardwood and coniferous forests as well as along stream banks. Distribution is occasional in the Escambia region.

The leaves are usually alternate but are occasionally opposite, widest at the middle, finely toothed on each side of the mid-vein, slender leaf stalks, green and nearly hairless above, paler or whitish with pressed hairs beneath. The leaves turn yellow or red in autumn.

The flowers are small consisting of four white petals, in upright branched and flat clusters at the end of a leafy twig. Flowering occurs in late spring.

Fruit is numerous blue/black berries, on red stalks, bitter. The inner stone is hard. While the berries are bitter to humans, they are a favorite of wildlife in the fall and winter.