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Flowering Dogwood - Cornus florida


Family: Cornaceae - Dogwood family Genus Common Name: Dogwood Native Status: Native
Cornus florida - Flowering Dogwood. Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, the dogwood usually referenced simply as dogwood, is a small tree, growing up to 30 feet tall, although it is more typically 15 feet tall, and frequently as wide as it is tall. It brings an early splash of white to the undercover of the spring forest for several weeks in April or May.

Synonym Benthamidia florida. This is apparently a recent DNA-based reclassification from the genus Cornus. I have yet to determine how widely-accepted this classification has become; USDA Plants Database does not list it (Dec 2009.)

Journal Articles Referencing Dogwood

Leave comments on Cornus florida at this link.
Cornus florida

Distribution of Cornus florida in the United States and Canada:
USDA Map temporarily unavailable.
Blue=Native; Grey=Introduced

Map from USDA Plants Database:
USDA, NRCS. 2017. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 16 Jan 2025). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

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Site: The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA Date: 2009-April-11Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson
The dogwood inflorescence has four large showy white bracts which most of us think of as the petals. These bracts surround the cluster of many green-to-yellow blossoms. Leaves are opposite, and are just beginning to uncurl when the tree is in blossom.
Cornus florida
Site: The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA Date: 2009-April-11Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
1/125f/4.5 ISO200
Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
90mm (135 equiv)
A close look at the dogwood blossoms shows the four pollen-covered stamens and single pistil from the four-petaled blossom.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Cornus florida
Site: The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA Date: 2009-April-11Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
1/125f/4.0 ISO200
Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
90mm (135 equiv)
Another view across the white dogwood sepals to the cluster of green-yellow blossoms.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Cornus florida
Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2012-September-18Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000
Flowering Dogwood's seeds are bright red.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Cornus florida
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Cornus florida initially published on USWildflowers.com 2009-12-18; Updated 2015-06-25

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