North Carolina’s official state flower has made its annual appearance in the woods behind my home. According to the state extension, flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is a woody, deciduous, showy, understory tree in the dogwood family (Cornaceae) that is native from southeastern Canada through eastern North America to eastern Mexico, where it is commonly found growing in woodland margins. This small tree grows 15 to 25 feet tall and is quite tolerant to heat. It has a low flammability rating, which is important to this old forester who lives in the wildland-urban interface of the western NC mountains.
The showy dogwood “flower” is actually a cluster of small, true flowers surrounded by four petal-like bracts. Butterflies and specialized bees visit the flowers, and the red fruits are a food source for songbirds and other wildlife from fall through winter.
Today’s tribute to this lovely tree is more than just a “Nature Nugget.” It symbolizes my personal official start to spring. The decrepit apple tree near the garden, full of woodpecker holes, has a surprising number of blossoms, despite me thinking that each year will be its last. The daffodils have passed their prime, but the irises are coming up gangbusters . . . it won’t be long before they’ll be ready to bloom, too.
Springtime gives me hope in the darkest of days.
Photo by Leslie Cross on Unsplash
#dogwood #springtime #hope
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