flowering dogwood
Cornus florida
Flowering dogwood is one of the most well-known and cherished of small flowering trees. It is common in the woods; perhaps more common in suburban yards. All parts of flowering dogwood are consumed by wildlife.
Fall
Color.
The hard, smooth wood is used for small wooden gadgets needing to withstand rough use. Examples include spools, malletheads, small pulleys.
Seeds, fruits, flowers, twigs, bark, and leaves are all used as food by various species. The fruits, in particular, are eaten by at least 36 species of birds, and many mammals, small and large.
Flowering dogwood is often removed from timber stands in the name of timber stand improvement. It can be regenerated by stump sprouts, seeds, and vegetative cuttings, with partly shady conditions best for survival.
dogwood anthracnosedogwood borer
Fun facts
Flowering dogwood's red fruits, although relished by wildlife, are poisonous to humans. Powderized bark and small twigs were onced used as toothpaste.Cornus
the Latin name for Cornus mas from "cornu" (hard - for the wood).
florida
flowering Latin "flos" (flower).
2004 Virginia
Tech Forestry Department, all rights reserved. Text, images, and programming
by: Dr. Jeff Kirwan, Dr. John R. Seiler, John A. Peterson, Edward C. Jensen,
Guy Phillips, or Andrew
S. Meeks.
questions, comments, and criticisms: email John.Peterson@vt.edu