Description

Cornus florida L., flowering dogwood, is a small, bushy tree which rarely attains a height of more than 40 feet or a diameter of 12 to 18 inches.  The leaves are opposite one another and from 3 to 6 inches long.  The deeply ridged and broken bark resembles alligator hide.  Flowering dogwood has large, showy, deeply notched bracts, 4 of which surround each cluster of inconspicuous perfect flowers, in bloom from May to June.  The fruit clusters on this shrub-like tree are scarlet red.

Uses

Wildlife: The fruit is choice fall and winter food of the gray squirrel and fox squirrel, bobwhite, cedar waxwing, cardinal, flicker, mockingbird, robin, wild turkey, and woodpecker.  The leaves and twigs are choice food for the white-tailed deer.  It is not an important nesting plant.

Ornamental: It is an important ornamental tree used around homes and office buildings because of its striking display when it is in full bloom.

Adaptation and Distribution

Flowering dogwood is adapted to most upland sites but grows best on rich, well-drained soils on middle and lower slopes.  It develops best as an understory species in association with other hardwoods. Flowering dogwood is distributed throughout the eastern United States. 

References

USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program (2002).  Plant fact sheet for flowering dogwood (cornus florida L.). Retrieved from http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet