Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea L.) seedlings from three seed sources of different climatic conditions were treated hydroponically with 0–100 mM NaCl to compare their salinity tolerance. The control seedlings from the coldest location, Alberta (AB) had the lowest biomass and transpiration rate, as well as the highest photosynthetic water use efficiency. When exposed to 100 mM NaCl for 1 week, the seedlings from AB maintained a higher photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance than the seedlings from the low precipitation location, British Columbia (BC), and the high precipitation location, New Brunswick (NB). After 2 weeks of treatment at this highest salt concentration, leaf injury occurred in the plants from all the locations suggesting that in spite of early differences, the seedlings from all locations may not be able to survive the salinity stress over time. In contrast, when plants were exposed to 50 mM NaCl, the seedlings from AB had low level of leaf injury, followed by the plants from BC compared with the NB seedlings. Furthermore, at this moderate salt concentration, the seedlings from NB (with the highest biomass for the control) had the lowest root relative growth rate and the highest leaf area; while the seedlings from AB and BC had the highest photosynthetic water use efficiency. The seedlings from AB were able to retain more K in the roots than the seedlings from NB, suggesting a higher level of salinity tolerance. Lower chloride content was observed in the leaves of the AB seedlings than in the BC seedlings. The results of this study show that when exposed to 50 mM NaCl, the seedlings from the cold (AB) and dry (BC) locations had higher salt tolerance than the seedlings from the milder climate (NB). These results suggest that cross tolerance may occur in red-osier dogwood; however, it varies depending on the level of salinity stress.
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