Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) is a 20-40 ft., single- or multi-trunked tree with a spreading crown and graceful, horizontal-tiered branching. It is sometimes considered the most spectacular of the native flowering trees.The tree is admired for its long-lasting display of very showy, large, white bracts that emerge before the leaves in early spring and surround small, inconspicuous, tight clusters of green flowers. The small tree also produces fruit in the form of a cluster of red drupes that mature in the fall.
 
This east Texas native has scarlet fall foliage. It prefers moist, well-drained, organically rich, acidic soils in part shade, and will benefit from a 2-4" mulch to help keep roots cool and moist in summer. For best results plant in shade, not direct sunlight, and keep watered the first year.
 
Uses: Flowering Dogwood can be used for wildlife food and cover The hard wood is extremely shock-resistant and useful for making various tools and kitchen utensils. Indians used the aromatic bark and roots as a remedy for malaria and extracted a red dye from the roots.