 Flowering Dogwood is the state flower of Virginia and North Carolina |
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| Flowering Dogwood is a small tree with head-like clusters of greenish flowers sub-tended by four large white or pink petal-like bracts (the flower is the cluster seen in the center. Flowering occurs in early spring; March to April. Preferred habitat is pine woods, margin of fields and meadows, stream banks and flood zones. The family is primarily trees and shrubs, rarely herbs. Worldwide there is about 12 genera and some 100 species, mostly in temperate zones. Many members of this family are grown as ornamentals. The wood of dogwood has huge commercial value as tool handles, furniture and spindles. |
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(C. foemina)  |
(C. stricta)  |
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(C. drummondii)  |
(C. amomum)  |
| These swamp dogwoods are extremely difficult to distinguish one from the other, but generally if you have the name the description will fall into place. To begin, Swamp Dogwood has very small leaves that turn rust-colored in Autumn. Without the flower or fruit the leaf might lead one to believe it's a cherry. Stiff Dogwood new growth stems are very woody and snap easily when bent; the scientific name stricta bears out that nomenclature. Rouge-Leaf Dogwood has an opposite leaf arrangement; leaves being rough to the touch. Alternate-Leaf Silky Dogwood is soft and downy to the touch. It's a part of the Red Osier group and is the only southern species with reddish twigs. In all cases the flowers are extremely small so to lead one not to think of dogwood -- look at the leaf and there will be doubt. All small-flowered dogwood enjoy a similar habitat of swamps, stream banks and the damp understory of hardwood forests. |
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