Plant Image Data Base                                         

   Cornus florida

                                                       Flowering Dogwood

• Form
  • small deciduous ornamental tree
  • maturing at 15' tall by 25' wide or even larger under optimum conditions, but often much smaller in non-Southern climates or under stressful conditions

• Culture
  • tolerates full sun to full shade, but best placed in partial sun to partial shade
  • needs well-drained but continuously moist, acidic soils; soil acidity is extremely important for this species to thrive
  • abundant availability, including many cultivars, in ball and burlap or container form
  • not tolerant of soil compaction, severe heat with drought, poor drainage, alkaline soils, or urban stress in general, but does well under high humidity conditions
• Foliage
  • medium to dark green above but silvery-green below; by late Summer the leaves have often curled or slightly scorched at the margins due to the summer heat, and freely reveal the silvery undersides of the leaves without the aid of a breeze
  • fall color is red to crimson-purple, in September and October and often spectacular, especially if sited in full sun to partial sun
• Flowers
  • four white showy bracts that are obovate and have reddish-brown indentations at their apices; each inflorescence is about 3" across
  • flowering in late April and early May and spectacular for up to one week
• Fruits
  • very showy red fruits contrast well with the green foliage, or are showy by themselves if persistent throughout late Autumn and into Winter
  • fruits are readily eaten by birds and squirrels, either on the tree or after abscission

• Function
  • focal point, specimen, foundation, entranceway, under story, border, naturalizing, wildlife attraction, or four-season accent ornamental tree
• Assets
  • four-season small ornamental tree (Spring flowers, Summer foliage, Autumn foliage and berries, Winter bark, layered branching, and floral buds)
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• Purpose
  • Flowering Dogwood is a very popular Spring-flowering small tree that is also a four-season ornamental accent.
• Summary
  • Cornus florida is a four-season small tree noted for its flower, fruit, foliage, fall color, bark, flower bud, and layered branching ornamental features, but often performing far below its potential when sited in neutral to alkaline soils.

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