Flowering dogwood
Cornus florida
Family: Cornaceae
What it is like
A deciduous tree. It grows 4-12 m tall. The bark is red-brown to blackish. It cracks into small square plates. The leaves are oval and 10 cm long by 6 cm wide. They taper to a point and do not have teeth. They are dark green and smooth above and whitish and softly hairy underneath. The leaves turn bright red in the autumn. The flowers are small and greenish in dense half round clusters. There are 4 white to pink bracts around each cluster. These bracts have a notch at the tip. The fruit are small and red and in clusters. These separate when ripe.
There are about 45 Cornus species. The plant contains quinine.
Where it is found
It is native to eastern North America. It grows in acid soils in woods. It will grow in most soils. It is resistant to frost but damaged by drought. It suits hardness zones 5-8. Arboretum Tasmania.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia, Canada, North America, Tasmania, USA (country/location of origin)
How it is used for food
Caution: The fruit are bitter and probably should not be eaten in large quantities.
Edible parts
Fruit, caution
How it is grown
Plants can be grown by seeds, cuttings, layering or grafting.