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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Flowering Dogwood
| image = Benthamidia florida berry.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Flowering Dogwood in fall with fruit
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Cornales]]
| familia = [[Cornaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Dogwood|Cornus]]''
| subgenus = ''Benthamidia''
| species = '''''C. florida'''''
| binomial = ''Cornus florida''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
The '''Flowering Dogwood''', '''American Dogwood''', '''Cornelian Tree''', '''False Box''', '''False Boxwood''', '''Florida Dogwood''', '''Indian Arrowwood''', '''Nature's Mistake''' or, '''White Cornel''' (''Cornus florida'', [[synonymy|syn.]] ''Benthamidia florida'') is a species of [[dogwood]] native to eastern [[North America]], from southern [[Maine]] west to southern [[Ontario]] and eastern [[Kansas]], and south to northern [[Florida]] and eastern [[Texas]], with a disjunct population in eastern [[Mexico]] in [[Nuevo León]] and [[Veracruz]].
[[Image:White dogwood flower.jpg|left|thumb|A single flowerhead, showing the large white petal-like bracts and the tight cluster of small greenish-yellow flowers. Early May, [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]]]
It is a small [[deciduous]] [[tree]] growing to 10 m high, with a trunk diameter of up to 30 cm. The [[leaf|leaves]] are opposite, simple acute oval, 6-13 cm long and 4-6 cm broad, with an apparently entire margin (actually very finely toothed, under a lens); they turn a rich red-brown in fall.
The [[flower]]s are individually small and inconspicuous, with four greenish-yellow petals 4 mm long. Around 20 flowers are produced in a dense, rounded, [[inflorescence|flowerhead]] 1-2 cm diameter, the flowerhead surrounded by four conspicuous large white or pink "petals" (actually [[bract]]s), each bract 3 cm long and 2.5 cm broad, rounded, and with a distinct notch at the apex. The flowers are [[plant sexuality|bisexual]].
While most of the wild trees have white bracts, some selected [[cultivar]]s of this tree also have pink bracts, some even almost a true red. They typically flower in early April in the southern part of their range, to late April or early May in northern and high altitude areas. The similar [[Kousa Dogwood]] (''Cornus kousa''), native to [[Asia]], flowers about a month later.
The [[fruit]] is a cluster of three to eight 10-15 mm diameter [[drupe]]s which ripen to a bright red in the fall; they are eaten by [[bird]]s which distribute the [[seed]]s. The berries are edible, though lacking in any interesting flavor. <br clear = left>
There are two [[subspecies]]:
*''Cornus florida'' subsp. ''florida''. Eastern [[United States]], southeastern [[Canada]] ([[Ontario]]).
*''Cornus florida'' subsp. ''urbiniana'' (syn. ''Cornus urbiniana''). Eastern [[Mexico]] ([[Nuevo León]], [[Veracruz]]).
===Cultivation and uses===
[[Image:Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida Trunk Bark 3100px.jpg|right|thumb|The bark on the tree's trunk]]
Growing Dogwood does best [[horticulture|horticulturally]] when it has [[shade]] from the west but has good [[morning]] [[sun]]. It does not do well when exposed to intense [[heat]] sources such as adjacent [[parking lot]]s or [[air conditioning]] [[Gas compressor|compressors]]. It has a low tolerance of [[salt]]. In eastern North America, it is cultivated as far north as [[Toronto, Ontario|Toronto]] and south to central [[Florida]]. Farther west, places of cultivation include [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]], [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] and [[Vancouver, Canada|Vancouver]]. It is sold in other temperate parts of the world, including [[Sydney]], [[Australia]].
It is very susceptible to dogwood [[anthracnose]], a [[disease]] caused by the fungus ''Discula destructiva''. This has killed many wild stocks of Flowering Dogwood; domestic [[landscape]] [[plant]]ings have often been affected to a lesser degree because better [[atmospheric circulation|air circulation]] and less [[humid]] conditions discourages the fungus, but losses still occur fre
quently. The Kousa Dogwood is resistant to this disease.
;Selected cultivars
*'Autumn Gold' - white bracts; yellow fall color.
*'Barton' - large white bracts; blooms at early age; resists mildew.
*'Bay Beauty' - double white bracts; resists heat and drought; good for Deep South.
*'Cherokee Daybreak' - white bract; vigorous grower with variegated leaves.
*'Cherokee Chief' - red bracts; red new growth.
*'Cherokee Sunset' - purplish-red bracts; variegated foliage.
*'Gulf Coast Pink' - best pink flowering dogwood in Florida.
*'Hohman's Gold' - white bracts; variegated foliage.
*'Plena' - double white bracts; anthracnose-resistant.
*'Purple Glory' - red bracts; purple foliage; anthracnose-resistant.
*'Weaver White' - large white blooms; large leaves; candelabra shape; good in north-central Florida.
==References and external links==
*[http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?11551 Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Cornus florida'']
*[http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=COFL2 NRCS: USDA Plants Profile: ''Cornus florida'']
*[http://www.missouriplants.com/Others/Cornus_florida_page.html Missouriplants: ''Cornus florida'']
*[http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/cofl2.htm Bioimages: ''Cornus florida'']
<gallery>
Image:floweringdogwood2.jpg|A Flowering Dogwood cultivar with pink flowers
Image:floweringdogwood.jpg|A Flowering Dogwood cultivar with white flowers
Image:Benthamidia florida autumn.jpg|Tree shape, autumn
Image:Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida 'Appalacian Spring' Sapling 2000px.JPG|Sapling of ''Cornus florida'' 'Appalacian Spring'
Image:Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida 'Appalacian Spring' Leaves 3000px.JPG|Leaves of ''Cornus florida'' 'Appalacian Spring'
Image:Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida 'Appalacian Spring' Leaf 2650px.JPG|Leaf closeup of ''Cornus florida'' 'Appalacian Spring'
</gallery>
[[Category:Cornales|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Southeastern Canada|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Eastern United States|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Southeastern United States|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Plains-Midwest U.S.|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Florida|Dogwood, Flowering]] <!-- as opposed to just continental N. Florida, I assume it is towards the south of the state -->
[[Category:Trees of Mexico|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Nuevo León|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Veracruz|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Symbols of Virginia]]
| color = lightgreen
| name = Flowering Dogwood
| image = Benthamidia florida berry.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Flowering Dogwood in fall with fruit
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Cornales]]
| familia = [[Cornaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Dogwood|Cornus]]''
| subgenus = ''Benthamidia''
| species = '''''C. florida'''''
| binomial = ''Cornus florida''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
The '''Flowering Dogwood''', '''American Dogwood''', '''Cornelian Tree''', '''False Box''', '''False Boxwood''', '''Florida Dogwood''', '''Indian Arrowwood''', '''Nature's Mistake''' or, '''White Cornel''' (''Cornus florida'', [[synonymy|syn.]] ''Benthamidia florida'') is a species of [[dogwood]] native to eastern [[North America]], from southern [[Maine]] west to southern [[Ontario]] and eastern [[Kansas]], and south to northern [[Florida]] and eastern [[Texas]], with a disjunct population in eastern [[Mexico]] in [[Nuevo León]] and [[Veracruz]].
[[Image:White dogwood flower.jpg|left|thumb|A single flowerhead, showing the large white petal-like bracts and the tight cluster of small greenish-yellow flowers. Early May, [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]]]
It is a small [[deciduous]] [[tree]] growing to 10 m high, with a trunk diameter of up to 30 cm. The [[leaf|leaves]] are opposite, simple acute oval, 6-13 cm long and 4-6 cm broad, with an apparently entire margin (actually very finely toothed, under a lens); they turn a rich red-brown in fall.
The [[flower]]s are individually small and inconspicuous, with four greenish-yellow petals 4 mm long. Around 20 flowers are produced in a dense, rounded, [[inflorescence|flowerhead]] 1-2 cm diameter, the flowerhead surrounded by four conspicuous large white or pink "petals" (actually [[bract]]s), each bract 3 cm long and 2.5 cm broad, rounded, and with a distinct notch at the apex. The flowers are [[plant sexuality|bisexual]].
While most of the wild trees have white bracts, some selected [[cultivar]]s of this tree also have pink bracts, some even almost a true red. They typically flower in early April in the southern part of their range, to late April or early May in northern and high altitude areas. The similar [[Kousa Dogwood]] (''Cornus kousa''), native to [[Asia]], flowers about a month later.
The [[fruit]] is a cluster of three to eight 10-15 mm diameter [[drupe]]s which ripen to a bright red in the fall; they are eaten by [[bird]]s which distribute the [[seed]]s. The berries are edible, though lacking in any interesting flavor. <br clear = left>
There are two [[subspecies]]:
*''Cornus florida'' subsp. ''florida''. Eastern [[United States]], southeastern [[Canada]] ([[Ontario]]).
*''Cornus florida'' subsp. ''urbiniana'' (syn. ''Cornus urbiniana''). Eastern [[Mexico]] ([[Nuevo León]], [[Veracruz]]).
===Cultivation and uses===
[[Image:Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida Trunk Bark 3100px.jpg|right|thumb|The bark on the tree's trunk]]
Growing Dogwood does best [[horticulture|horticulturally]] when it has [[shade]] from the west but has good [[morning]] [[sun]]. It does not do well when exposed to intense [[heat]] sources such as adjacent [[parking lot]]s or [[air conditioning]] [[Gas compressor|compressors]]. It has a low tolerance of [[salt]]. In eastern North America, it is cultivated as far north as [[Toronto, Ontario|Toronto]] and south to central [[Florida]]. Farther west, places of cultivation include [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]], [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] and [[Vancouver, Canada|Vancouver]]. It is sold in other temperate parts of the world, including [[Sydney]], [[Australia]].
It is very susceptible to dogwood [[anthracnose]], a [[disease]] caused by the fungus ''Discula destructiva''. This has killed many wild stocks of Flowering Dogwood; domestic [[landscape]] [[plant]]ings have often been affected to a lesser degree because better [[atmospheric circulation|air circulation]] and less [[humid]] conditions discourages the fungus, but losses still occur fre
quently. The Kousa Dogwood is resistant to this disease.
;Selected cultivars
*'Autumn Gold' - white bracts; yellow fall color.
*'Barton' - large white bracts; blooms at early age; resists mildew.
*'Bay Beauty' - double white bracts; resists heat and drought; good for Deep South.
*'Cherokee Daybreak' - white bract; vigorous grower with variegated leaves.
*'Cherokee Chief' - red bracts; red new growth.
*'Cherokee Sunset' - purplish-red bracts; variegated foliage.
*'Gulf Coast Pink' - best pink flowering dogwood in Florida.
*'Hohman's Gold' - white bracts; variegated foliage.
*'Plena' - double white bracts; anthracnose-resistant.
*'Purple Glory' - red bracts; purple foliage; anthracnose-resistant.
*'Weaver White' - large white blooms; large leaves; candelabra shape; good in north-central Florida.
==References and external links==
*[http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?11551 Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Cornus florida'']
*[http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=COFL2 NRCS: USDA Plants Profile: ''Cornus florida'']
*[http://www.missouriplants.com/Others/Cornus_florida_page.html Missouriplants: ''Cornus florida'']
*[http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/cofl2.htm Bioimages: ''Cornus florida'']
<gallery>
Image:floweringdogwood2.jpg|A Flowering Dogwood cultivar with pink flowers
Image:floweringdogwood.jpg|A Flowering Dogwood cultivar with white flowers
Image:Benthamidia florida autumn.jpg|Tree shape, autumn
Image:Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida 'Appalacian Spring' Sapling 2000px.JPG|Sapling of ''Cornus florida'' 'Appalacian Spring'
Image:Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida 'Appalacian Spring' Leaves 3000px.JPG|Leaves of ''Cornus florida'' 'Appalacian Spring'
Image:Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida 'Appalacian Spring' Leaf 2650px.JPG|Leaf closeup of ''Cornus florida'' 'Appalacian Spring'
</gallery>
[[Category:Cornales|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Southeastern Canada|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Eastern United States|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Southeastern United States|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Plains-Midwest U.S.|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Florida|Dogwood, Flowering]] <!-- as opposed to just continental N. Florida, I assume it is towards the south of the state -->
[[Category:Trees of Mexico|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Nuevo León|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Trees of Veracruz|Dogwood, Flowering]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Symbols of Virginia]]