White Flowering Dogwood - Cornus Florida is the aristocrat of native flowering trees, with excellent show of creamy white blossoms in spring, and bright red berries in fall and winter. This is one of the most popular ornamental trees, with four-season appeal. Showy early spring flowers are the yearly highlight, but red fruits and crimson foliage in autumn, large floral buds and checkered bark in winter, and year-round layered branching add to its appeal. Historically, the hard, close-grained wood of Flowering Dogwood was used to make shuttles for weaving in the textile industry. As a member of the Dogwood Family, it is related to the many other species of Dogwoods, and distantly related to Black Tupelo.

The Dogwood is a low branching tree that spreads horizontally and has a semi-rounded top.  This deciduous tree does best in well-drained acid soil with sufficient organic matter.

The White Flowering Dogwood is one of the showiest native trees. The flowers unfold from the round, conspicuous, gray winter flower buds before the leaves come out. The white or pink flower bracts are showy and often thought to be the petals of the flower. They open in May. The fruit is a bright scarlet, relished by birds, squirrels, and other animals, which often eat the fruit before it colors and matures, usually between September and November. The wood is hard, heavy, strong, very close-grained, and brown to red in color.