NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Cornus florida [= Benthamidia florida]

Flowering Dogwood

Scientific Name:	Cornus florida [= Benthamidia florida]
Genus:	Cornus
Species Epithet:	florida
Common Name:	Flowering Dogwood
Plant Type	Tree
Life Cycle	Perennial
Plant Family	Cornaceae (Dogwood Family)
Native/Alien:	NC Native
Invasive Status:	^(*Key)
Size:	12-36 ft.
Bloom Color(s):	White, Pink, Yellow
Light:	Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day
Soil Moisture:	Dry, Moist
Bloom Time:	March, April, May
Growing Area:	Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills, Coastal Plain
Habitat Description:	Dry to moist forests and woodlands. Common throughout NC.
Leaf Arrangement:	Opposite
Leaf Retention:	Deciduous
Leaf Type:	Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like
Leaf Form:	Simple
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Wildlife Value:	Highest Wildlife Value
Landscape Value:	Highly Recommended and Available
State Rank:	S4: Apparently secure ^(*Key)
Global Rank:	G5 - Secure ^(*Key)
Notes:	Per Larry Mellichamp, "the overall most beloved and widely planted deciduous tree in the Southeast....year-round appeal via flowers, foliage, form, fruit and bark." The red fruits are high in fat and relished by birds.
Flowering Dogwoods explode with showy white blossoms in mid-spring. True flowers are tiny and surrounded by 4 showy, bright white leafy bracts. Will Stuart
Cornus florida is often multi-stemmed with distinctively layered branches. Will Stuart
Pink flowering cultivars are available and handsome. Will Stuart
A pair of Flowering Dogwoods in the Suzie Harwood Garden, UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens. Will Stuart
Many species of native birds are attracted to dogwood fruits in autumn. Will Stuart
Emerging inflorescence in early April with subtending bracts just opening (still green but will later turn white) and flowers still in bud. Orange County, NC Bettina Darveaux
Close-up of flower bud in the Fall Orange County, NC Bettina Darveaux
Brilliant scarlet Fall color Orange County, NC Bettina Darveaux
Links:	USDA PLANTS Database Record https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/species_account.php https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cornus-florida/ https://nc.audubon.org/700 https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/benthamidia/florida/