References: The National Arbor Day Foundation https://www.arborday.org/
Signs Designed by Amanda Parsons, Natural Resources and Recreation Management student.
Flowering Dogwood (Cornius florida)
Flowering Dogwoods are easily noticed to the trained eye. They are very common “understory” trees, which means they grow under the canopy of other trees in the forest. They can grow up to 30 feet tall with the trunk being as large as eight inches around.
T
he leaves are about 2 ½ inches long, and have very noticeable blooms during the spring, which vary in color from white, pink, to red. These blooms have very large petals and make the flower look much larger than it actually is. They need the help of insects to pollinate the flowers every year. The dogwood puts out a fruit that is very berry like; it grows to about ½ inch long and is bright red. These fruits are eaten by all kinds of different animals, and last from September to December.
This tree is known for its beauty almost year round. There is an old saying from the Victorian Era that if you give a woman that you have feelings for a dogwood flower, and she keeps it, then she feels the same about you. If she doesn’t keep it then she doesn’t feel the same as you do.
References
- Jathar, R. (2013, December 18). Uses of a Flowering Dogwood Tree. Retrieved October 22, 2014, from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/flowering-dogwood-tree-uses.html
- Flowering Dogwood. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2014, from http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/flowering_dogwood.htm
- Photo courtesy of Donald R. Farrar
Report By: Nathan Hodnichak