Flowering dogwood Cornaceae Cornus florida ..\latin/Cornus_florida.wav..\latin/Cornus_florida.wav
Leaf: Opposite, simple, arcuately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, oval in shape with an entire margin.
Flower: Very small, but surrounded by 4 large white (occasionally pink) bracts, 2 inches in diameter. Appearing March to April in the south, June in the north.
Fruit: A shiny, oval red drupe, 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, in clusters of 3 to 4. Maturing in September to October.
Twig: Slender, green or purple, later turning gray, often with a glaucous bloom. The terminal flower buds are clove-shaped, vegetative buds resemble a cat claw.
Bark: Gray when young, turning very scaly to blocky.
Form: A small tree with a short trunk that branches low, producing a flat-topped crown. Branches are opposite, and assume a "candelabra" appearance.
| Leaf Characteristics |
Fruit Characteristics |
Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida What appears to be a single, showy flower on this tree actually is a cluster of flowers surrounded by 4, petal-like "bracts." Nevertheless, these highly visible white (sometimes pink or rose) flower-clusters are a distinctive feature of forests, fields, and hillsides in springtime Ohio. In the fall, leaves of the Flowering Dogwood turn brilliant scarlet in color. The tree grows well in almost any fertile, well-drained soil. It is found throughout most of Ohio. The wood is extremely hard, strong, and tough. One of its principle uses has been in making weaving shuttles. Also, it has been used for various turned articles and golf club heads. It is a very successful urban ornamental tree, and as such has been planted widely. Many kinds of birds feed on the fruit and a few mammals eat the seeds. |
&
The Ohio Historical Society (OHS)
Please send comments to: webmaster@oplin.lib.oh.us
http://www.ohiohistory.org/http://www.ohiohistory.org/
W 087° 41.449