Cornus florida L.

Flowering Dogwood; Common Dogwood

Tree

Perennial

Vascular

Flowering Dogwood is a native deciduous tree in the Dogwood family (Cornaceae). It is found throughout Alabama. Flowering Dogwood is typically an understory tree of hardwood, pine, or mixed pine/hardwood forests. It grows from 15-40 feet in height, often with 2-4 trunks. Young twigs are green in color and appressed pubescent. The bark of older stems and the trunk is brownish-grey in color and broken into small rectangular plates. Leaves are opposite, petiolate, ovate to elliptic or obovate in outline, and appressed pubescent. They turn red to purple-red before falling in the autumn. Flowers are produced in terminal, 15–30 flowered heads. The heads are subtended by 4 petal-like bracts. The bracts are typically white in color, but pink and pinkish-red forms are known in cultivation. Individual flowers are greenish-yellow in color. The fruit is a red drupe. The fruit are consumed by numerous bird and mammal species. Flowering Dogwood is commonly cultivated. It prefers a “forest edge” situation in which it receives some protection from direct sunlight. It does best in a rich, loamy soil with good drainage. Dogwood anthracnose has caused serious decline in this species throughout its range. Homeowners should choose disease-resistant cultivars for the home landscape. – A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL)

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