Flowering Dogwood
Arbor Walk #53, Treekeeper ID #1410
Often claimed as the most beautiful of North America’s native flowering trees, the Flowering Dogwood is the state tree of both Missouri and Virginia. Its early-spring blooms of showy white petals surrounding tiny clusters of yellow dogwood flowers are among the tree’s most dramatic characteristics. Its bright red fruits are attractive to birds but inedible to humans. ‘Appalachian Spring’ is a cultivar of this tree found growing wild near Camp David Presidential Retreat in Maryland which boasts near 100% resistance to Anthracnose, a disease which has caused considerable devastation of the Eastern U.S. Dogwoods.
More information on the Flowering Dogwoods in our Arboreum here!
| Common Name | Flowering Dogwood |
|---|---|
| Latin Name | Benthamidia florida (previously Cornus florida) |
| Indigenous Name(s) | |
| Cultivar/Variety | ‘Appalachian Spring’ |
| Commercial Name |
Global Distribution
GPS Coordinates
N/A
Percent Concrete
N/A
Distance to Buildings
| Year | Close Building #1 | Close Building #2 | Close Building #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Hillman Hall, 13.38 m | Brown Hall, 24.37 m | Goldfarb Hall, 26.46 m |
Distance to Other Species
| Year | Close Species #1 | Close Species # 2 | Close Species # 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Kentucky Coffeetree, 6.63 m | Flowering Dogwood, 8.56 m | American Hornbeam, 10.85 m |
Standard Measurements
| Year | Height (m) | DBH (cm) | Caliper (m) | Crown Diameter N-S (m) | Crown Diameter E-W (m) | Average Crown Diameter (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4.1586 | 4.1 | N/A | 2.28 | 2.25 | 2.265 |
| 2023 | 3 | 8 | N/A | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
Nests and Pests
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Trunk bark splitting heavily, but the pattern is bizarrely squared-off |
Leaf Identification
The Flowering Dogwood has 3″ to 6″ long, ovate to obovate leaves. They are a dark green and turn red in the fall. The venation of the leaves is arcuate (curls upwards toward the tip).
Twig and Bud Identification
The twig of the Flowering Dogwood is straight, as opposed to zig zag. Leaves are arranged oppositely on the stem (each leaf branches off the stem at the same height and opposite of another leaf). Multiple flower buds are at the end of each stem. Leaf buds are found laterally, and are not globular as the flower buds are.
Bark Identification
The Flowering Dogwood has reddish-tan to dark brown bark. It is either broken into round or squarish blocky scales.
Fruit Identification
The fruit of the Flowering Dogwood are bright red, berry-like drupes. They are in clusters and egg-shaped that are 1/2″ long. The fruits ripen at the beginning of fall.
[photo forthcoming]
Flower Identification
The flowers of the Flowering Dogwood are white. They are made up of 4 petal-like bracts that have a 3″ to 4″ diameter, with tiny greenish-yellow flowers at the center of the bracts. They bloom in April.
‘Appalachian Spring’ Identification
The ‘Appalachian Spring’ cultivar has a near 100% resistance to Anthracnose. It is also noticeable for having larger fruit compared to the wild-type Flowering Dogwood.
