Texas Wildbuds

Cornus florida

(Flowering Dogwood)

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Cornus florida, Caddo Lake State Park, Harrison Co. 3342

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Cornus florida, Caddo Lake State Park, Harrison Co. 3346

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Cornus florida, Caddo Lake State Park, Harrison Co. 0581

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Cornus florida, Caddo Lake State Park, Harrison Co. 3350

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Cornus florida, Caddo Lake State Park, Harrison Co. 3352

Scientific Name Cornus florida USDA PLANTS Symbol COFL2
Common Name Flowering Dogwood ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. 27806
Family Cornaceae (Dogwood) SEINet
Reference		 Click Here
Description Habitat: Moist or wet soils in thickets, streambanks, and in open deciduous, mixed, and pine forests.
Plant: Understory large shrub or small tree Large shrub or small tree 20 to 40 ft. tall with a spreading crown up to over 40 ft. across; trunk up to 20 inches in diameter; gray bark with small plates up to 3/8-inch across; branchlets are green, maroon, or red, with appressed hairs.
Leaves: Opposite, clustered near end of branchlets, elliptic to ovate, 2-3/4 to 4-3/4 inches long and 2 to 3-1/8 inches wide; surfaces have with arching veins, are dark green above and paler beneath, turning red to reddish purple in fall; margins are somewhat wavy; on short petioles about 3/8-inch long.
Inflorescence: What resembles a white composite flower head is actually something much different. There are a few white "flowers" at the branchlet tips are made up of a center that has 15 to 30 very small yellow-green flowers tightly clustered together, surrounded by 4 cream-white, showy petal-like bracts up to 2 inches long that open flat; these bracts are obovate to obcordate in shape with notched tips. The individual flowers have tiny green sepals and yellow-green petals that are only about 1/8-inch long.
Bloom Period: March and April.
References: "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston, Flora of North America and SEINet Here.		 BONAP Distribution Map


Map Color Key		 Texas Status:
Native
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Banner photo of Castilleja indivisa and Lupinus ssp. taken along FM 1323 north of Johnson City, Blanco County

© Tom Lebsack 2025

Every attempt is made to provide accurate, up-to-date, and relevant information, but the completeness or accuracy of any information presented on this website cannot be guaranteed. I use authoritative references to insure high standards of accuracy and review and update the information frequently.