A small native tree with iconic four-petaled white "flowers" (technically bracts surrounding a tiny cluster of true flowers) in early spring. Red berries in fall are heavily eaten by migratory birds.

Also called: Eastern Flowering Dogwood, American Dogwood

Native status: Native; declining due to disease

§ Quick facts

SizeMature height 6–12 m (20–40 ft); trunk diameter 30 cm
WeightN/A
LifespanTypically 40–80 years
OrderCornales
FamilyCornaceae

§ Encyclopedia

Cornus florida, the flowering dogwood or American dogwood, is a species of flowering tree in the family Cornaceae native to eastern North America and northern Mexico. An endemic population once spanned from southernmost coastal Maine south to northern Florida and west to the Mississippi River. The tree is commonly planted as an ornamental in residential and public areas because of its showy bracts and interesting bark structure.

Source: Wikipedia — Cornus florida Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Small tree with smooth gray bark broken into squarish plates ("alligator skin" pattern); opposite oval leaves with curved parallel veins; flat-topped clusters of true flowers surrounded by four white-to-pink bracts; red drupes in fall.

Similar species. Pacific Dogwood (Pacific Coast). Kousa Dogwood (introduced ornamental; more disease-resistant). Other Cornus species (different growth forms).

Voice. N/A

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. N/A — photosynthesis

Behavior. Iconic small understory tree of eastern forests. The "flowers" are actually composed of four large white-to-pink bracts (modified leaves) surrounding a tight cluster of tiny true flowers in the center. Brilliant red autumn fruits (drupes) are eaten by 36+ bird species. State tree of Missouri and Virginia. Devastated across much of native range since the 1970s by dogwood anthracnose (Discula destructiva) — a fungal disease that has killed up to 80% of wild dogwoods in some areas.

§ Range

Eastern US from Maine to Florida and west to Texas

§ Habitat

Forest understory, edges, suburbs

§ Threats

Anthracnose disease, deer browsing, replacement with disease-resistant Asian dogwoods.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the flowering dogwood is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Plant disease-resistant cultivars. Maintain forested understory. Don't plant Asian Cornus kousa as native substitute.

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§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • USDA Plants Database
  • USDA Forest Service Silvics Manual
  • Dogwood anthracnose research (USDA APHIS)
  • Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center