Today I have a third piece for what I’m dubbing the “Botanical Brights” collection. I must have spring on my mind because today’s piece is Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida). 

I love Dogwood trees because of their open, airy canopy. They are a perfect mid-sized tree in the landscape. Dogwoods grow fairly well here in the northeast if they are in a protected location. They do not tolerate windy or exposed sites. I have always enjoyed seeing them bloom on my travels to the south. 

This is one of my favorite Dogwood photos. I snapped this on a trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the spring of 2015. I love the split rail fence. The cabin in the background was a historical reproduction, but the scene looks like something out of the Civil War. 

There are many different cultivars of native Dogwood, some featuring the pink flowers I featured in this piece. They grow natively from mid Pennsylvania down to Florida, and west to the Mississippi River. In the summer Dogwood trees create a cluster of berries, called drupes, that are a favorite for many birds. The bark of the tree is very “corky” and pretty unique. The bark and branch structure make them a nice choice for winter gardens. 

Liz