Practical
Plants

Cornus florida

Flowering Dogwood

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Cornus genus in the family Cornaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Cornaceae
Genus
Cornus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
moderate
Height
6 m
Spread
8 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

There is a report that the fruit is poisonous for humans[16].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - cooked. The fruit is not poisonous, but is almost inedible raw[14]. When the seed is removed and the flesh is mashed, it can be mixed with other fruits and made into jams, jellies etc[14]. The fruit, when infused in 'Eau de Vie' makes a bitter but acceptable drink[19]. One report says that the fruit is poisonous for humans[16]. The fruit is borne in clusters, each fruit being up to 15mm in diameter with a thin mealy bitter flesh[16]. The fruit is high in lipids, uo to 35% of dry weight[18].

Product or use
Drink

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Flowering dogwood was employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes who valued it especially for its astringent and antiperiodic properties[17]. It is little used in modern herbalism. The dried root-bark is antiperiodic, astringent, diaphoretic, mildly stimulant and tonic[19][21][22][26][17]. The flowers are said to have similar properties[19]. A tea or tincture of the astringent root bark has been used as a quinine substitute to treat malaria[26][13][17] and also in the treatment of chronic diarrhoea[13]. The bark has also been used as a poultice on external ulcers, wounds etc[13][17]. The glycoside 'cornin' found in the bark has astringent properties[12]. The inner bark was boiled and the tea drunk to reduce fevers and to restore a lost voice[12][17]. A compound infusion of the bark and the root has been used in the treatment of various childhood diseases such as measles and worms[17]. It was often used in the form of a bath[17]. The fruits are used as a bitter digestive tonic[13]. A tincture of them has been used to restore tone to the stomach in cases of alcoholism[19].

Product or use
Anthelmintic
Product or use
Antiperiodic
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Bitter
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
Stimulant
Product or use
Tonic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A red dye is obtained from the fibrous root[19][26]. The peeled twigs are used as toothbrushes, they are good for whitening the teeth[19][26][2]. The juice from the twigs preserves and hardens the gums[19]. The twigs can also be chewed to make natural paintbrushes[2]. A black ink can be made from the bark mixed with gum arabic and iron sulphate[19]. The bark is very bitter, could it be used to make an insect or bird repellent[K]? Wood - hard, heavy, strong, close grained, durable, takes a good polish and is extremely shock-resistant. It weighs 51lb per cubic foot and is used for making wheel hubs, tool handles, the heads of golf clubs, bearings, turnery etc[19][21][22][25][2][6][15].

Product or use
Brush
Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Ink
Product or use
Repellent
Product or use
Dental care
Product or use
Wood

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Maine to Florida, east to Kansas and Texas.
Habitat
Rich well-drained soils in acidic woods to 1500 metres[20][25]. An understorey tree in dry deciduous woods[25][13].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or in an outdoors seedbed if there is sufficient seed[24][4]. The seed must be separated from the fruit flesh since this contains germination inhibitors[24][5]. Stored seed should be cold stratified for 3 - 4 months and sown as early as possible in the year[5]. Scarification may also help as may a period of warm stratification before the cold stratification[24][5]. Germination, especially of stored seed, can be very slow, taking 18 months or more[5]. Prick out the seedlings of cold-frame sown seeds into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow the plants on for their first winter in a greenhouse, planting out in the spring after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe side shoots, July/August in a frame[8]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, taken with a heel if possible, autumn in a cold frame. High percentage[23]. Layering of new growth in June/July. Takes 9 months[23].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any soil of good or moderate fertility[1], ranging from acid to shallow chalk[9]. Dislikes shallow clay soils and chalky soils[27][7]. Requires a neutral to acid soil according to another report[10]. Prefers a rich loamy well-drained soil[27]. Succeeds in full sun or light shade[[8]. Plants can be trained to grow against a wall when they prefer a position in light shade[10]. Plants are very hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°c. but they are subject to damage by late frosts and are rarely successful away from the warmer counties of Britain[3][9]. They require a long hot humid summer if they are to grow well, doing best in the east or south-east of Britain[7][9] in areas that are not subject to late or early frosts. They do not generally do very well in the south-west, where the flower bracts are often damaged by frosts[9]. Medium to fast growing when young, but slowing with age[10]. Trees are short-lived[16]. A very ornamental plant, there are many named varieties[9][10]. It is the state flower of Virginia[11]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[9].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-394-72811-4

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

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  4. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

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  5. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  6. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

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  7. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩1↩2

  8. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  10. Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-670-82929-3

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  11. Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963-00-00 ISBN 63-7093

    ↩

  12. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩1↩2

  13. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  14. Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649

    ↩1↩2

  15. Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. 1982-00-00 ISBN 0292780206

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  16. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  17. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  18. Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm

    ↩

  19. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  20. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

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  21. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  22. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  23. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  24. McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6

    ↩1↩2↩3

  25. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩1↩2↩3

  26. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  27. Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.

    ↩1↩2

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