Mature Size: Commonly 20 to 30 feet tall, 6 to 8 inches in diameter
Form: Small tree with spreading, uplifted branches
Habitat: Hardwood forest understories, on a variety of soils
Leaves: Opposite, simple, 3 to 5 inches long, edges smooth or wavy, with veins curving to run parallel to the leaf edges
Flowers: Very small and inconspicuous, tightly clustered, surrounded by 4 very showy, large, white (occasionally pink), notched, petal-like bracts, 2 inches in diameter; appearing in mid-spring
Fruit: Oval, shiny, bright red, berry-like, and in tight clusters; ripening in October
Bark: Grayish-brown, dividing into small scaly blocks
Twigs: Slender, green or purple (on sunlit side), later turning gray, often with a waxy coating; flower buds are onion-shaped; leaf buds resemble dull cat claws
Values and Uses: The brown to red wood is hard, heavy, strong and very closegrained. It was once used for textile shuttles and spools and for handles and mallets, but is seldom harvested today. Although the fruits are poisonous if eaten by humans, more than 35 species of birds and many large and small mammals are known to eat them. Deer and rabbits browse the foliage and twigs. Dogwood is planted as an attractive ornamental tree.
Did You Know? Flowering dogwood is the state tree and the state flower of Virginia.
