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| Native from Massachusetts to Florida, west to Ontario, Texas and Mexico. This is one of the most highly prized, native ornamental trees in our area. It occurs naturally on moist, fertile soils. Flowering dogwood is at home in forested slopes as an understory tree. The bark is gray and abundantly checkered. The wood is hard and durable, and is sometimes used for small items such as golf club heads. The "blossoms" that appear in the spring are actually inflorescences consisting of 4 large conspicuous bracts that surround a cluster of small, true flowers. The fruits that develop are eaten by wildlife, and the foliage turns a brilliant orange-red or deeper russet color in the fall. The pink "flowered" form of this species occurs sporadically within its native range as a wild plant. |