Plant Family: Cornaceae
Growth Form: Small attractive tree, from 4 to 12 meters high.
Leaves: Opposite, simple, elliptic, with wavy margins; the veins are prominent and curve to follow the margins.
Bark: Gray-brown, smooth on young trees; blocky and checkered on older trees.
Flowers: Yellow-green, small, with 4 true petals, in tight central clusters, highlighted by 4 white petal-like bracts, appearing before the leaves in April and May; some cultivars have pink bracts.
Fruits: Green drupes, ripening to bright red, ovoid, in tight clusters; eaten by birds and small mammals who distribute the seeds.
Habitat: The understory of deciduous woods with well-drained soils; cultivated varieties are planted in yards and gardens.
Key Features: Showy white bracts around the central flower cluster and bright red fruits allow for easy identification.
Range: Uncommon to rare in northern New England, listed as endangered in Maine; common in southern New England and across most of the eastern United States.
Comments: Dogwood blight is caused by a fungus (Discula destructiva) – look for round brown spots on the leaves – both wild and cultivated trees can be affected. Cool damp conditions with poor air circulation are conducive to the spread of the fungus, so that trees in the forest interior are more susceptible than trees planted in the open or wild trees on forest edges. Flowering Dogwood is the state tree of Missouri and Virginia.
