The dogwood trees also referred to as dogwood arbor in the Latin language is a small ornamental tree that blooms in early spring with blooms lasting throughout the entire summer months and into fall. The dogwood flowers come in a variety of colors including pink dogwood, red dogwood, kousa dogwood, yellow, white dogwood with red tips, red dogwood with white tips and solid white dogwood. Because of their beauty and their long lasting blooms dogwood trees are often used in the landscaping for both homes and businesses but flowering dogwoods trees growing in the wild are more often than not breathtakingly beautiful.
When the blooming season has passed and the weather begins to cool the leaves of the dogwood tree will change color and its pedals will all fall to the ground. Then tiny red berries will grow in their place for the birds and squirrels to enjoy until old man winter comes around and takes them all away in preparation for a new year to begin. The dogwoods natural lifespan is around eighty years, the normal height of the dogwood is about thirty feet but they have been known to grow as tall as thirty feet.
Different Varieties of Dogwood Trees Include:
Where and How Do the Dogwoods Grow?
Native to North America the flowering dogwood grows best in zones 1 through 9 which for the most part covers the entire United States as well as Europe and Asia. Dogwoods are pretty hardy trees that will grow in many different types of soil but they grow best in soil that is moist and well drained. Dogwood trees can grow in shady areas or in full sun.
Diseases That Affect the Dogwood Tree
Diseases that are common but not fatal among dogwoods are:
Dogwood Blight is a common disease that kills dogwood trees within a few years. All of the above mentioned diseases are the result of too much moisture.
The dogwood is most often grown and appreciated today for its beauty but in times past the tree was valued for it incredibly hard wood and medicinal purposes. The dog wood was used by early Americans to make items such as:
Bow and Arrows
The Uses of The Dogwood Tree
The bark from the dogwood tree was often made into a tea and used to treat fevers, boiled to make a lovely red dye for clothing and blankets, and even smoked during certain ceremonies conducted by the Indians.
Myths and Legends
There are also myths and legends that have been associated with the dogwood tree. One being that a murdered Indian princess used the pedals of a dogwood tree to stop the bleeding when she was murdered by an Indian Brave who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Another legend about the dogwood is that there was a time when the dogwood tree grew straight and tall until it was used as the wood for the cross of Jesus. At that time Jesus was said to have cursed the dogwood so that it would never grow straight or tall ever again.