| FAMILY:
CORNACEAE
ALTERNATE COMMON NAME:
LEAVES: opposite, simple, deciduous; elliptic,
arcuate venation; passes the dogwood test
FLOWER: cluster of small flowers surrounded
by 4 large bracts; before leaves
FRUIT: red drupe, 1/2”, small tight
clusters, matures in fall
TWIGS: scalloping; large onion-shaped flower
buds
BARK: gray to black when mature; broken
up into small blocks; alligator skin
FORM: small tree, spreading crown, very
obvious when flowering in spring.
HABITAT: understory tree, dry to moist sites
WETLAND DESIGNATION: facultative upland
(FACU); occasionally (1-33%) found in wetlands in the southeastern
US
RANGE: eastern US
USES: ornamental; hard dense wood used for
weaving spindles and novelties; song and game birds, small
and large mammals eat fruit, good deer and cattle browse
Brief Recognition Features:
- opposite leaves with arcuate venation
- large showy white flowers
- onion-shaped terminal flower buds
- alligator bark on mature trees
NOTE: Other shrubs and trees with arcuate
venation include other dogwoods
(Cornus), Virginiawillow
(Itea), and Carolina
buckthorn (Frangula) |
