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Flowering
Dogwood
Cornus florida
- Onion like flower buds
- Opposite leaf buds
- Can see lines that encircle
twig
Virginia designated the flowering
dogwood (Cornus florida) as the official
state floral emblem in 1918. The
dogwood is a small, deciduous tree with
graceful branches that bloom in spring
with large showy flowers (usually
greenish-white, sometimes pink or
yellow). The dogwood develops red
berries in autumn, and the leaves also
turn a deep red before falling for winter.
The word dogwood stems from dagwood
(from the use of the very hard wood for
making 'dags,' or daggers). The wood
was also valued for making loom
shuttles, arrows, tool handles, and other
small items that required a very hard,
strong wood. Larger items were also
made of dogwood such as the screw in
basket-style wine or fruit presses.