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A Flowering Dogwood in the fall (6)
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Description
The Dogwood is a native
flowering tree and is the state tree of Virginia. It ranges in height from
20-30 ft. with branches spreading as much as 20 to 30 feet (1). Its leaves are
simple, 3-5 in. in length, and opposite (4). Two reddish
scales cover each leaf bud. Its bark is reddish-brown to reddish gray (4). The inflorescence
consists of four showy petal-like bracts,
usually snow white or pink (1).
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Location on Campus
This beautiful, ornamental tree can be located
on campus between George Hall and the horse stables.
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Native Habitat and Current
Range
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Range of Flowering Dogwood. (3)
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This tree is native to North
America. Flowering Dogwood can be found throughout most of the Continental
United Sates, south of northern New England, Minnesota, and Wyoming. (6).
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Optimal Growing Conditions
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A Dogwood in bloom in landscape (1)
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The Flowering Dogwood prefers
evenly moist, well-drained, fertile deep soils of acidic pH (6).
This tree grows best in partial shade, but is able to tolerate full sun. (7).
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Economic Importance
Flowering Dogwood is one of
the most popular ornamental trees in Eastern North America. Because of its
beauty, it is used as a framing tree or a background tree in landscaping.
The wood of dogwood is very solid and is sometimes used to produce
commercial loom shuttles and spindles (1). Twigs wereonce
used as chewing sticks, which lead to the development of the toothpick (5).
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Ethnobotanical and Cultural
Information
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A Dogwood bloom in the South (1)
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Rumors began in 1830 that the
Native Americans and captive Africans in Virginia had very white teeth
because of their use of Dogwood chewing sticks. After chewing dogwood
sticks for a while, the twigs would spilt into a soft, fine brush. The
bark of the Dogwood has been used as an ointment for ague,
malaria, fever, pneumonia, colds, and many other complaints (5).
The Arikara
Indians mixed bearberry with the dried bark of red dogwood to make
tobacco, which they enjoyed smoking through pipestone pipes (5).
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Fascinating Facts
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Fruits of a blooming in Autumn (1)
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·
Flowering Dogwood is one of the earliest bloomers,
and is a spring highlight. Many features, such as its crimson foliage in
spring, its red fruits in autumn, and its large floral buds in the winter,
add to its beauty year-round (4).
·
Stress of any kind makes dogwoods susceptible to
diseases (1) They
also suffer from a number of terrible pathogens and pests (6).
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Keeping
these trees watered for the first two years of their lives will greatly
benefit their health (4).
·
The Pennsylvania Horticultural
Society awarded its Gold Medal Plant award to a professor at Rutgers
for a pair of Flowering Dogwoods, that were hybrid crosses able to
withstand diseases and adapt to thicker, packed-down soil (2).
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Other interesting sites
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/flowering_dogwood.htm
This link has many interesting pictures of the Flowering Dogwood with
good close-ups of its leaves, bark, and fruit. It also has a scientific
classification chart.
http://greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/288
This site allows you to order various Flowering Dogwood species.
http://www.usda.gov/
Go to this site then type in Flowering Dogwood and a whole list of
sites will come up.
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References: Articles, Books, Reference
Materials, and the Web
1.
Christman, S. http://www.floridata.com/ref/C/cornus_f.cfm,
accessed 11/16 /03.
2.
Damsker, M. Winners for choosers. Organic Gardening.
May/June 1993. 40,(5): 22-24
3.
Gilman, E.F.,
Watson DG. http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/CORFLOA.pdf,
accessed 11/18/03
4.
Grace, Dr. J.R. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/commontr/flowerin.htm, accessed
11/16 /03
5.
Medicinal Herbs Online.
http://www.egregore.com/herbs/FloweringDogwood.htm#Legends, accessed
11/18/03
6.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources and The Ohio State
University Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/forestry/Education/ohiotrees/dogwood.htm,
accessed 9/11/03
7.
Virginia Cooperative Extension, http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/factsheets/trees/fldogwd.html,
accessed 9/11/03
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Created by:
Nicole M. Brement
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