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Makin, Julie
Cornus florida
Cornus florida L.
Flowering Dogwood, Virginia Dogwood, Florida Dogwood, White Cornel, Arrowwood, American Boxwood, False Box, St. Peter's Crown, Corona De San Pedro
Cornaceae (Dogwood Family)
Synonym(s): Cynoxylon floridum
USDA Symbol: COFL2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Sometimes considered the most spectacular of the native, flowering trees, flowering dogwood is a 20-40 ft., sometimes taller, single- or multi-trunked tree with a spreading crown and long-lasting, showy, white and pink spring blooms. A lovely, small, flowering tree with short trunk and crown of spreading or nearly horizontal branches. Graceful, horizontal-tiered branching; red fruits; and scarlet-red fall foliage are other landscape attributes. Flowering dogwood is deciduous.
Flowering Dogwood is one of the most beautiful eastern North American trees with showy early spring flowers, red fruit, and scarlet autumn foliage. The hard wood is extremely shock-resistant and useful for making weaving-shuttles. It is also made into spools, small pulleys, mallet heads, and jeweler's blocks. Native Americans used the aromatic bark and roots as a remedy for malaria and extracted a red dye from the roots.
The genus cornus is Latin for a horn.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Fruit Type: Drupe
Size Notes: Up to about 65 feet tall, often much shorter.
Leaf: Green
Autumn Foliage: yes
Flower: Flowers 3 inches
Fruit: Red 1/2 inch
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , Pink , Yellow , GreenBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun
Bloom Notes: Flowers in late winter and early spring in the South and as late as late spring in the northern parts of its range.
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MO , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WVCanada: ON
Native Distribution: FL to e. TX, n. to s. ME, Ont., s. IL, extreme s.e. KS & OK, range resumes in eastern Mexico from Coahuila south to Veracruz
Native Habitat: Thickets, Stream, river banks, Shaded woods. Deciduous woods; thickets; bluffs; wood edges; dry uplands
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
Soil pH: Acidic (pH<6.8)
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Cold Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Rich, well-drained, acid soil. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Acid-based
Benefit
Use Ornamental: Showy, Fall conspicuous, Shade tree, Attractive, Blooms ornamentalUse Wildlife: Fruit-birds, Fruit-mammals, Fruit-deer.
Use Medicinal: Dried, ground bark was used as a quinine substitute for treating fevers. A bark decoction was used to treat mouth problems, and the fibrous twigs were used as chewing sticks, said to whiten teeth. (Kershaw) Tea made of boiled inner bark used to reduce fevers; during Civil War dogwood bark used as substitute for quinine. (Weiner)
Use Other: Some tribes used the roots to make a scarlet dye for colouring porcupine quills and eagle feathers. The bark also yields a red dye. (Kershaw)
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds , Butterflies
Larval Host: Spring Azure.
Value to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Native BeesSupports Conservation Biological Control
This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)
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Spring Azure (Celastrina "ladon" )  Larval Host |
Propagation
Propagation Material: SeedsDescription: Sow seeds outdoors immediately after collection or stratify and sow the following spring.
Seed Treatment: Stratify for 30-60 days at 41 degrees.
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: Prune to maintain shape, Prune in early spring, Prevent complete soil dryness, Maintain mulch layer, Fertilize in spring and fall with azalea/camellia-type fertilizer
Find Seed or Plants
View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.
Mr. Smarty Plants says
Native alternative for Japanese Red Maple in Oklahoma
October 12, 2009
Mr. Smarty Plants, I am looking for a native alternative to a Japanese Red Maple. I would like a small tree that I can put in my front garden that will not pose a security risk my being overgrown and ...
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Attracting butterflies in Tennessee
July 03, 2009
What flowers and plants do the caterpillars in Tennessee eat? And do you know what butterflies live in Tipton Co. Tennessee?
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Non-toxic shade trees for horses in Florida
April 01, 2009
Looking for non poisonous shade trees for pasture with horses. Would prefer flowering or something that changes color. Thank you.
view the full question and answer
Availability of Cornus florida (flowering dogwood) for Central Texas
March 26, 2007
I'd like to buy a flowering dogwood tree. Love the fall berries and spring flowers. I haven't had been able to find them at the nurseries I frequent (Great Outdoors, Natural Gardener, Breed, Barton ...
view the full question and answer
National Wetland Indicator Status
| Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
| Status: | FACU | FACU | FACU | FACU | FACU |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, The - Valhalla, NY
Pineywoods Native Plant Center - Nacogdoches, TX
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Delaware Nature Society - Hockessin, DE
Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS
Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX
Georgia Native Plant Society - Atlanta, GA
Texas Master Naturalists - Lost Pines Chapter - Bastrop, TX
Longwood Gardens - Kennett Square, PA
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE
Bibliography
Bibref 766 - Dale Groom's Texas Gardening Guide (2002) Groom, D.Bibref 1207 - Earth Medicine, Earth Food (1990) Michael A. Weiner
Bibref 1186 - Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Bibref 298 - Field Guide to Texas Trees (1999) Simpson, B.J.
Bibref 1185 - Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Bibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. Wasowski
Bibref 355 - Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 3 - Flora of North America (2014) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.From the Archive
Wildflower Newsletter 1992 VOL. 9, NO.1 - Research Update, Creating Native Lawn with Sod, Director's Report, What Makes Pl...Wildflower Newsletter 1994 VOL. 11, NO.6 - Wildflower Center Featured Non-Profit in Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, Dana Leav...
Wildflower Newsletter 1996 VOL. 13, NO.6 - Winter Wonderland, Origins of the Christmas Tree, Development Director\\\'s Repo...
Additional resources
USDA: Find Cornus florida in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Cornus florida in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Cornus florida
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-10-03Research By: TWC Staff