American Dogwood Tree Facts

An endemic population once spanned from southernmost coastal maine south to northern florida and west to the mississippi river.

American dogwood tree facts. One of the most interesting dogwood tree facts is that their roots are used to make dyes. It is an ornamental tree and is also known as hound s tree. Dogwood can be found in the evergreen forests or on the edges of deciduous forests.

The dogwood name is derived from dagwood which refers to the trees earliest use as material for making daggers and swords. Dogwood is a type of flowering tree that belongs to the family cornaceae. Specifically dogwood roots provide red black and yellow dyes.

These species vary wildly from shrubs to deciduous temperate trees and evergreens. Additional colors can be created by mixing dogwood root with other plants that provide dyes. The dogwood tree belongs to the family cornaceae and its scientific name is cornus florida.

George washington planted them at mount vernon and thomas jefferson at monticello. As long as you offer the tree plenty of water and sunshine like most plants the dogwood will do just fine. It is quite common in north america.

It grows on fertile loamy soil in areas that provide enough moisture and shade. An old tree will stand about 5 meters tall. American dogwoods plant s bark is deeply ridged rough broken and resembles crocodile skin.

It turns a rich red brown in fall. Leaves are simple opposite ovate measuring 6 13 cm long and 4 6 cm broad with entire margins. In many species the flowers are borne separately in open but often dense clusters while in various other species such as the flowering dogwood the flowers themselves are tightly clustered lacking showy petals but surrounded by four to six large typically white petal like bracts.