15. Eastern Dogwood

Specimen Size: 29.1ft tall, 10.25in in diameter.

Location: Between the Electrical Engineering building and the Aerospace and Engineering Research Building.

Historical Background: The wood of this tree is heavy, strong, and extremely shock resistant. It has been used to produce wheel hubs, tool handles, and the heads of golf clubs. The twigs of this tree can be peeled and used as toothbrushes and can be chewed to create natural paintbrushes. This tree was an important source of medicinal uses to the Native peoples of Eastern North America. Tribes would also obtain the fibrous roots to create a scarlet dye. The fruits, seeds, flowers, and twigs of this tree are an extremely valuable food source to many species of wildlife including: chipmunks, foxes, skunks, rabbits, deer, beavers, black bears, and many species of birds. However, the seeds of this tree are poisonous to humans.

Non-Native

Native Range: Eastern North America 

Identifying Features: much like the Pacific Dogwood seen earlier on this tour, this species displays graceful dark green ovate leaves, lighter yellow green beneath, with the distinctive venation pattern seen on all dogwoods (veins arcing forward from the central midrib parallel to the edge of the leaf in arcuate form). Like other dogwoods, when pulled gently apart across the leaf, fine white fibers remain where the veins have been pulled apart. Unlike its native cousin the leaves of the Eastern dogwood are generally less wavy or hairy, and the leaves are generally far smaller. It also may be distinguished by those specialized white bracts which in spring look so much like flowers. The Eastern Dogwood has only 4 per flower while those of the Pacific Dogwood have 5-8.

Identifying Features In Depth (for app):

1. Form: A beautiful tree with low apical control, growing to about 30’ (10m) and often occupying the understory of eastern pine flatlands of the southeast. It has and open canopy and branches which tend to grow horizontally. In spring it may be seen wearing an apron of white before leaves as the bracts and flowers bloom. Other cultivated varieties also include pink and red variations.

2. Leaves: Up to about 6” (15cm) in length, ovate and dark green on top with yellow green bottoms, arcuate venation with lateral veins alternately placed. Leaves grow oppositely and are generally smaller than those of the Pacific Dogwood, but larger than the also native Red-osier dogwood. The specialized leaves known as bracts which frame the flowers are red, pink, or green, and are opposite one another in a set of 4 around each cluster of flowers. Bracts are notched at the tip.

3. Bark: Charcoal colored to lighter gray, broken into small rectangular blocks. Stems are slender and green when young turning purplish brown with age.

4. Reproductive Bodies: Flowers usually appear before the leaves and are centered in the bracts, they are yellow green in color. These give rise to small (15mm) red drupes (a fleshy outer fruit surrounding a single shell with a seed inside, a cherry is a prime example). Generally these will ripen in September.