Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (21) View all

Common forest trees of North Carolina

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  • wcu_great_smoky_mtns-9731.jpg
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  • ^<%&^s •«> -#$p<*?t>- ST TR ■^s> -^c-03®.-^ -e> -sg£p<^t>- DOGWOOD (Cornus florida L.) THE dogwood, sometimes referred to in books as flowering dogwood, is found growing throughout the State, usually under the larger forest trees. It is a small tree, usually 15 to 30 feet high and 6 to 12 inches in diameter, occasionally larger, with a rather flat and spreading crown and short, often crooked trunk. The bark is reddish brown to black and broken up into small 4-sided scaly blocks. The leaves are opposite, ovate, 3 to 5 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide, pointed, entire or wavy on the margin, bright green above, pale green or grayish beneath. The flowers, which unfold from the conspicuous, round, grayish, winter flower buds before the leaves come out, are small, greenish yellow, arranged in dense heads surrounded b y large white or rarely pinkish petal-like bracts, which give the appearance of large spreading flowers 2 to 4 inches across. The fruit is a bright scarlet "berry," one-half an inch long and containing a hard nutlet in which are 1 or 2 seeds. Usually several fruits, or "berries," are contained in one head. They are relished by birds, squirrels and other animals. The wood is hard, heavy, strong, very close- grained, brown to red in color. It is in great demand for cotton-mill machinery, turnery handles and forms. One other tree has quite similar wTood—the persimmon. The dogwood, with its masses of early spring flowers, its dark-red autumn foliage and its bright-red berries, is probably our most ornamental native tree. It should be used much more extensively in roadside and ornamental planting. DOGWOOD Leaf, one-half natural size. Twig, two-thirds natural size.
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