Dogwood, Flowering
Cornus florida
Cornaceae - Dogwood
Description
Leaves: Opposite; simple; oval; 3" to 6" long; deciduous; leaf veins parallel margin in an arc; entire margin; surfaces hairy; bright green above; paler beneath; petiole short; turning scarlet in fall.
Twigs/buds: Twigs slender; purple; more or less covered with a white, waxy coating; red to purple-red fall color. Terminal bud 1/8" long, 2 scales meet in a straight line without overlapping; flower buds look like small lanterns or urns on branch tips.
Flowers/fruit: Flowers perfect; yellow; inconspicuous; arranged in a 1/2" wide head; surrounded by 4 large showy white or deep pink bracts, 3" to 4" across; appear in early spring before leaves. Fruit a drupe; bright red; about 1/3" long; in compact clusters.
Bark: Thin; dark red-brown; broken into small, square blocks; very distinctive.
Wood: Unimportant; sapwood light pink-brown; heartwood dark brown; hard; heavy; growth rings distinct but not sharply delineated; diffuse-porous; rays visible to naked eye.
General: Native to most of the eastern U.S. A small tree that occurs naturally in the shady understory of other trees. Very shade tolerant.
Landscape Use: A good, small tree widely planted as an ornamental because of its beautiful flowers, good fall color, and ornamental fruit. Sensitive to pollution and not well-adapted to alkaline soils. Worth trying in protected situations, preferably with some shade. I have seen a pink-flowered variety doing well and blooming every year near downtown Logan. Zones 5-9 (many cultivars are of southern origin and will not flower reliably or do well in cold areas; in zones 5 and 6 make sure your tree is from a more northern source).
Cultivars: 'Appalachian Spring', 'Cherokee Brave', 'Cherokee Chief', 'Cherokee Princess', 'Cherokee Sunset', 'Cloud Nine', 'First Lady', 'Pluribracteata', 'Rubra', 'Weaver's White', 'Welch's Bay Beauty'.
Characteristics
General
Family | Cornaceae - Dogwood |
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Cultivar Availability | Yes |
Hardiness Zone | 5-9 |
Type | Broadleaf |
Utah Native | No |
Growth
Growth Rate | Low |
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Mature Height | Low |
Longevity | Medium |
Is Good Under Power Lines | Yes |
Crown Shapes | Layered |
Ornamental
Bark | Yes |
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Fall Color | Yes |
Flowers | Yes |
Foliage | Yes |
Fruit | Yes |
Tolerance
Shade | High |
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Salt | Medium |
Drought | Low |
Poor Drainage | Low |
Alkalinity | Medium |
Transplanting | Low |