Dogwood Blossom

The tree

Flowering dogwood is a small deciduous tree growing to 10 m (33 ft) high, often wider than it is tall when mature. The tree is commonly planted as an ornamental in residential and public areas because of its showy bracts and interesting bark structure. In the wild it can typically be found at the forest edge and frequently on dry ridges.

Bracts and flowers

The flowering dogwood produces large white, pink or red bracts (not petals). Most of the wild trees have white bracts, while some selected cultivars also have pink bracts, some even almost a true red. The flowers are individually small, inconspicuous, and hermaphroditic, with four greenish-yellow petals 4 mm (0.16 in) long. The trees typically flower in early April in the south of their range and in late April or early May in northern and high-altitude areas.

Fruit

The fruit is a cluster of two to ten separate drupes, each 10-15 mm long, which ripen in late summer and early fall to a bright red, or occasionally yellow with a rosy blush.

Subspecies and related species

Two subspecies are generally recognized: Cornus florida subsp. florida in the eastern and south-central United States, and subsp. urbiniana in northeastern Mexico. The similar Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa), native to Asia, flowers about a month later.

Culture

Cornus florida is the state tree and flower of Virginia, the state tree of Missouri, and state flower of North Carolina.

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Related: Abelia · Almond Blossom · Alpha Terpineol · Alstroemeria · Alumroot · Amarillys · Amazon Moonflower · Amethyst Flower