Dig into Plants: Flowering Dogwood

Flowering Dogwood

Other Common Names: Virginia Dogwood, Florida Dogwood, White Cornel, Arrowwood, False Box

Scientific Name: Cornus florida

Native to Alabama: Yes

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – W.D. and Dolphia Bransford

Learn More About...

Basic Plant Information

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Julie Makin

I am a vascular plant with a woody trunk supporting woody branches, so I am a tree.
I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous.
I renew my growth each spring for many seasons, so I am perennial.
I can grow 15 – 30 feet high and 15 – 30 feet wide.

Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:

Butterflies

Caterpillars
Spring Azure,
Summer Azure

Native Bees

Deer

Other Birds

Small Mammals

Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:

Alternate-Leaved Dogwood
(Cornus alternifolia)

Silky Dogwood
(Cornus amomum)

Rough-Leaved Dogwood
(Cornus drummondii)

Southern Swamp Dogwood
(Cornus foemina)

Maintenance Notes

Dormant in winter.
Pruning is not necessary, but can be pruned in the spring to help maintain its shape.
Maintain a mulch layer around the base to help keep roots cool and moist, especially during the summer.
Fertilize in spring and fall.
When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds. Water should reach all roots.
Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves.

Until established, water two times per week during the summer and once per week during the rest of the year.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:

Full Sun
(6+ hours of sun per day)

Part Sun/Shade
(2-6 hours of sun per day)

Average Watering

Well-drained, Sandy, Loamy, or Acidic soil

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Eric Beckers

LEAF DESCRIPTION

Leaves are 3-6 inches long and 3-6 inches wide; dark green on the upper side and more pale underneath; veins bend upward toward the tip; turn bright reddish purple in the fall.

Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)


Shape: Ovate	Margin: Entire/Smooth

Arrangement: Opposite	Form: Simple

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Carolyn Fannon

FLOWER DESCRIPTION

3-4 inches across; Yellowish green flowers are clusterd in the center and have four white or pink bracts below.

Flower Shape Chart (JPG)


Color: Appear white or pink with yellowish green cluster in the center	Shape: Cross	Bloom Months: Mar – May

Native Plant Trust Go Botany – Louis M. Landry

SEED DESCRIPTION

Plant spreads by:
Seeds
In the fall, when the fruit is bright red and ripe, birds and other wildlife eat the fruits. After going through the digestion process, the seeds are able to germinate in the new location.


Type: Fruit – Berry	Description: Grow in clusters of 3 or 4 berries that are glossy bright red, oval shaped, and 1/2 inches in diameter	Months in Seed: Fall

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Julie Makin

BARK DESCRIPTION

When tree is young, bark is smooth; as tree matures, the bark develops a blocky, scaly texture


Color: Dark brown, dark gray brown	Texture: blocky, scaly texture for mature trees

Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle:

All plants start life as a seed. Seeds contain the new plant (embryo) and the nutrients inside of a protective coat. They must be dispersed (moved to a new location)
Once a seeed lands in a suitable environment, it will begin to grow to form the cotyledon or sprout. Small roots will begin growing into the soil, and a small leaf is developed.
The sprout becomes a seedling, developing a stem and leaves above ground.
As the seedling continues to grow, it will develop into a mature adult plant.
Mature adult plants are able to produce flowers that can be pollinated. The pollination process leads to the formation of new seeds, and the process continues.

General Plant Life Cycle – Dreamstime

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Ready as-is PDF

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Editable Word Doc

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Editable Word Doc

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