Cornus florida
Leaves are 3 to 6 inches long. The veins run parallel to the leaf margin. The mid-vein
contains fine strands when pulled apart.
Leaves: oval to egg shaped with five or six pairs of veins
Branching: opposite
Bark: dark (red-brown), deeply checkered in an alligator hide-like pattern
Height: small bushy tree (taller in southern states: 30 to 40 ft.)
Trunk Diameter: 12 to 18 in.
Longevity: 60 to 80 yrs.
Tolerance: tolerant
Range: southern Maine to central Florida, west to eastern Texas
Fun Facts:
- Planted as an ornamental
- Wood used in industrial weaving looms and wagon hubs.
- Fruit and twigs of the tree are food for song and game birds, skunks, deer, rabbits, and squirrels.
- Large white pink-tipped flowers in the spring.
- Identification tip - gently tear leaf. Strings will appear between the torn halves.
- You can always tell a Dogwood by its bark!
