Cornus Florida Presented by Torie Ramlose Fig [1]

Classification  Kingdom  Subkingdom  Superdivision  Division  Class  Subclass  Order  Family  Genus  Species Plantae (plants) Tracheobionta (vascular plants) Spermatophvta (seed plants) Magnoliophyta (flowering plants) Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons) Rosidae Cornales Cornaceae (dogwood family) Cornus L. (dogwood) Cornus florida L. (flowering dogwood) Text [1]

Shape, Form, & Type  The flowering dogwood can grow to be 9 meters tall and 10.7 meters wide although most are 4.6 meters tall and 4-6 meters across.  It has a shorter trunk and it’s branches overlap creating a bushy canapé. Text [1], Fig [2] Figure #1

Bark  The bark is separated into small squares.  The wood is very had beneath the bark. Text [1&2], Fig [1] Figure #2

Twig Fig [1] Figure #3 The twigs are slender and spout out from the many branches of the dogwood.

Leaf Its leaves are:  Green  Opposite  Up to 15cm in length  Color changing in autumn (red and purple) Text [1], Fig [1] Figure #4

Bud Text [2], Fig [1] Figure #5 Buds form in the middle of April, and the bracts begin to emerge in only a few days.

Flower The flower consists of 4 white petals with a cleft at the tip and the yellow flowers centered in its middle. Text [1], Fig [2] Figure #6

Fruit Text [1&3], Fig [2]  Squirrels and birds enjoy eating the fruit.  People can also eat the fruit because it is not poisonous.  The taste is compared to that of a melon. Figure #7

Uses  Dogwoods are used to make landscapes more beautiful.  They are also used to provide shade.  In medicine, flowering dogwoods are used in treating fevers and mouth problems. People chewed on the twigs in order to whiten their teeth. Tea was made from the bark that was said to reduce fevers.  The red dye was used to color porcupine needles by tribesmen. Text [1], Fig [4] Figure #10

Habitat & Range  They are most common in fertile, moist areas.  They can also be found in hardwood forests and on the edges of pine forests.  In the North, dogwoods do better in full sun, but they do better with shade in the South. Text [1], Fig [3] Figure #8

Works Cited 1. Cook, W. (n.d.). [Various parts] [Photographs]. Retrieved from 2. [Flower, fruit, tree] [Photograph]. (2003). Retrieved from cornus_f.cfmhttp:// cornus_f.cfm 3. Range. Retrieved from 4. [Tea cup][photograph]. (February, ) Washington monthly. Retrieved from Text Figure 1.Christman, S. (2008, March 10). Cornus florida. In Floridata. Retrieved June 23, 2010, from 2. Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida).Retrieved June 24, 2010 from 3. (2006, June 24). United States National Arboretum. Retrieved June 24, 2010, from