Trees of Alabama and the Southeast Home Page

Leaves are simple, opposite, deciduous, oval to elliptical in shape, and with lateral veins running parallel to the leaf margin (arcuate venation).  Small white hairs can be seen when you split the leaf.  Twigs are green to purple-green in color with V-shaped leaf scars. Leaf buds with two non-overlapping bud scales (valvate).  Flower buds are shaped like onions. Bark is brown-black and blocky. Flowers are surrounded by four white sepals. Fruit is a shiny red drupe. Flowering dogwood is found as an understory tree on moist, well-drained soils in the southeastern U.S.  The wood is hard and used for tool handles and mallet heads.  The fruit is important to wildlife and is eaten by many species of birds and mammals.  A popular ornamental but suffers from disease on poor sites.

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All text and photographs are intended for educational purposes only and are not for commercial use in any form.  All photographs are copyrighted by the named photographer(s), text copyright by Lisa Samuelson. © 2005, all rights reserved. Photographs by Mike Hogan.