Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is the small tree most people picture when they think of Appalachian and Piedmont spring: white or pink “petals” that are actually bracts around clusters of tiny true flowers. It is native throughout Maryland and functions as an understory bridge between forest canopy and shrub layer for wildlife.
Habitat and range
Occurs in mixed hardwood understories statewide, especially with morning sun, high canopy shade, or edge light. Common along woodland margins, fence rows, and older neighborhoods where soil has stayed acidic and uncompacted. Less happy in hot reflected heat from pavement or in wet, poorly aerated clay bowls.
Identification
Bracts are showy, usually four (sometimes more on doubles), white or pink depending on genetics and cultivar. Leaves are opposite, entire, with arcuate venation—the secondary veins curve gently toward the leaf margins like parallel bows. Fall can bring burgundy foliage and clusters of red drupes on bright stems that birds seek out. Bark on older trunks breaks into small square blocks, sometimes called “alligator hide.”
Often mistaken for: Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa), an Asian species often planted ornamentally—kousa blooms after leaves expand and has pointed rather than notched petal-like bracts; fruit is a bumpy raspberry-like aggregate. Black gum seedlings can confuse beginners in shade, but black gum leaves are alternate and often have a single gland on the petiole.
Soil and moisture
Prefers well-drained, acidic, humus-rich soils. Root rots and decline are more likely where drainage is poor or where mulch is piled against the trunk. Morning sun with afternoon shade, or dappled light, usually outperforms brutal all-day heat in Maryland’s summers.
Wildlife value
True flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees, flies, and other insects. Fruit feeds migrating thrushes, bluebirds, and many other species. Host plant for several moth and butterfly larvae; dogwood supports more caterpillar biomass than many common non-native ornamentals.
Uses and significance
Premier native ornamental for partial shade. Where dogwood anthracnose or powdery mildew have been severe, ask regional nurseries for resistant selections and confirm they are suitable for mid-Atlantic humidity. Avoid unnecessary trunk wounds—dogwood can compartmentalize slowly.
Further reading
- USDA PLANTS: Cornus florida — native status and images.
- US Forest Service Silvics, flowering dogwood — ecology and pests (PDF).
- University of Maryland Extension — disease management and native landscaping fact sheets.