Eastern Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Learn about the eastern flowering dogwood including when and why it was planted, how to identify it, and where to find it on campus.
Tree Facts
Family: Cornaceae
Type
Deciduous
Fall color
Size
Medium (25-50 feet)
Small (less than 25 feet)
Traits
- Football-shaped leaves that are 2-4 inches long and produce milky sap
- White leaf-like structures (bracts) in the spring that look like flowers
- Clusters of red fruit in the fall
- Block-patterned bark
- Susceptible to anthracnose and borer pests
Native Range
- Eastern United States
Story of the Tree
Four eastern dogwoods are north of the Pritchard Building parking lot. A lone, pink-flowered eastern dogwood is in the Visitor Center parking lot.
These trees begin flowering in May. In fall, they usually have a brighter, more attractive leaf color.
These lovely shrubby trees from eastern North America are relatives of our native Pacific dogwood – Cornus nuttallii. The two trees are unlike in form, but you can tell by looking at the blossoms that they’re close cousins.
The inelegant name dogwood is of old English origin and referred to another species that was and is a comparatively dull bush.
