Flowering Dogwood Tree, Germantown MetroPark, Ohio

Spring in the hardwood forests of eastern North America is defined in large part by the blossoming of the flowering dogwood tree. Most hardwood trees have such inconspicuous flowers that many people never even notice them, especially the maples and oaks. Not so with the flowering dogwood. Nobody can miss these babies.

The flowering dogwood tree (Cornus florida) is a small understory tree. It doesn't grow much taller than about 30 feet. The flowers are actually small; they are the little clusters seen in the center. What most people assume are the "flowers" are the bright white bracts surrounding the actual flower.

As if its showy springtime flowering habit isn't beautiful enough, the dogwood tree also goes out with a splash at the end of the growing season, with its deep red leaf color and bright red fruits dazzling us in the fall. As with the redbud tree, you don't have to be one of the biggest trees in the woods to be one of the most admired.

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