Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida    Synonyms: Benthamidia florida, Cynoxylon floridum.
Kingdom Plantae   >   Division Tracheophyta   >   Class Magnoliopsida   >   Order Cornales   >   Family Cornaceae   >   Genus Cornus   

Status:

This eastern U.S. species is widespread and common in Maryland.

Description:

The four, white petal-like structures are really bracts, and their open condition makes the tree look as though it's flowering. The actual flowers are the tiny structures clustered in the center. A cluster of obvious, red fruits (drupes) develop later in the season. In the fall and winter, the flower buds for the following year can be easily viewed. They are light-colored, biscuit-shaped structures covered by the bracts that will expand early in the spring (J. Hill/MNPS).

Relationships:

Pollination is by beetles, bees, butterflies, and flies. Seed dispersal is by birds and mammals (J. Hill/MNPS).

There are 862 records in the project database.

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Flowering Dogwood blooming in Kent Co., Maryland (4/24/2016). Photo by Dan Small. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood blooming in Frederick Co., Maryland (4/26/2016). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood blooming in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/29/2015). Photo by Elizabeth Miller. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood blooming in northern Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/23/2013). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood blooming in Caroline Co., Maryland (4/26/2016). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in fruit in Harford Co., Maryland (9/3/2017). Photo by Mary Sweet. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood (fruit) in Calvert Co., Maryland (9/30/2017). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood blooming in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/19/2020). Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood leaves in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/10/2013). Photo by Jon Corcoran. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Cecil Co., Maryland (6/25/2014). Photo by Jim Stasz. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Kent Co., Maryland (6/7/2014). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/10/2013). Photo by Jon Corcoran. (MBP list)

Fruiting Flowering Dogwood in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (10/6/2019). Photo by Matthew Beziat. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Caroline Co., Maryland (10/19/2019). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

The bud of a Flowering Dogwood in Caroline Co., Maryland (3/20/2013). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (9/23/2010). Fall buds for next year's blooms. Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Calvert Co., Maryland (4/26/2018). Photo by Tyler Bell. (MBP list)

Flower bud of a Flowering Dogwood in Allegany Co., Maryland (9/7/2016). Photo by Kimberly Booth. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (10/18/2010). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Howard Co., Maryland (6/15/2017). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

The bark of a mature Flowering Dogwood found growing in Worcester Co., Maryland (4/28/2012). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood (trunk) in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (2/12/2017). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/21/2016). Photo by Elizabeth Miller. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood along the Susquehanna River, just upstream of Conowingo Dam in Cecil Co., Maryland (4/29/2017). Photo by Elizabeth Miller. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Howard Co., Maryland (5/17/2018). Collected and processed by Helen Lowe Metzman. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Howard Co., Maryland (5/17/2018). Collected and processed by Helen Lowe Metzman. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Howard Co., Maryland (5/17/2018). Collected and processed by Helen Lowe Metzman. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/4/2020). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/29/2019). (c) dawnkbecker, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by dawnkbecker via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Caroline Co., Maryland (4/20/2020). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in Caroline Co., Maryland (4/26/2016). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Flowering Dogwood in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (5/27/2017). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)


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