| One of North Carolina's most common, showy, and familiar understory trees. Chapel Hill, NC 3/31/07.
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| The white bracts surrounding the flower clusters are unmistakable and very showy in early to mid-April. Carroll Co., VA 4/15/06.
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| The flowers at left are not yet open. Carroll Co., VA 4/15/06.
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| Flowering Dogwood is the North Carolina state flower. The actual flowers are small and yellowish-green. Some cultivars have pink bracts. Chapel Hill, NC 4/13/02.
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| Close-up of the small, yellowish-green flowers. Chapel Hill, NC 3/31/07.
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| A wild mutant flower - all the flower clusters on this tree had six pink bracts instead of four white ones. Granville Co., NC 4/27/03. |
| The leaves are opposite, simple, and have prominent veins. Orange Co., NC 9/20/02.
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| The bright red fruits, which ripen in September, are eaten by birds. Orange Co., NC 9/20/02.
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| Note the distinctive shape of the four-parted flower bud. Alleghany Co., NC 9/23/06.
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| Carroll Co., VA 10/16/06.
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| Carroll Co., VA 10/16/06.
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| The fruits last throughout the fall and winter. Fall foliage color is deep purplish-red. Scotland Co., NC 11/1/08.
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| Carroll Co., VA 10/26/08.
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| Carroll Co., VA 10/26/08.
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| Flower buds breaking. Moore Co., NC 3/22/08.
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| You can tell a dogwood by its distinctive bark, which is broken into small squarish blocks on mature trees. Harnett Co., NC 4/19/03.
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| Bark of a large dogwood tree (with a small tree to the right). Moore Co., NC 3/22/08.
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More information:
Floridata
Missouri Plants
USDA PLANTS database
Virginia Tech Dendrology
Recommended Tree, Shrub, and Woody Vine Identification Guides
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