Flowering Dogwood

Flowering Dogwood

Cornus florida

Cornaceae (Dogwood Family)

▲ ▼ white-flowering trees

▲ flower detail

▲ ▼ pink/red flowering cultivars, with flower detail below

▲ ▼ fruit

▲ ▼ fall foliage color

Location on campus: along walk north of Carrington, in landscape area south of Plaster Student Union are best examples; many trees on campus

Cornus florida: Flowering Dogwood

leaves opposite, deciduous, simple, ovate with veins curving parallel to margins; dark green and glossy above and glaucous underneath; 3-6" long and 2 as wide; often good red to purple fall color
stems slender, green to purple with some glaucous or pubescent coating when young, glabrous with age
bark is gray brown and broken into square or rectangular blocks on older trees: sort of alligator hide appearance
grows 20-30' tall and equally or more wide; branches often horizontally spreading to give a layered look with a rounded to irregular crown
flowers are greenish yellow and not showy, but 4 large white, pink to pinkish-red bracts surround the flower clusters and are very effective for about 2-4 weeks in early spring; flowers appear before the leaves and face generally upwards
fruit is a bright red drupe
prefers partial shade, although can tolerate full shade to full sun; needs cool, moist, acid, high organic matter soil--mulching of root zone area is essential during establishment; best to move when dormant in late winter
prone to potentially devastating anthracnose disease
slow to medium growth rate
native to Missouri
similar Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa), is native to Asia, has aggregate, ball-like red fruit, flowers after leaves appear and has peeling, multi-colored bark on mature trees