How do you identify a flowering dogwood tree?
Key characteristics of flowering dogwood are its opposite leaves with arcuate venation, large showy flowers (bracts), onion-shaped terminal flower buds, and alligator bark on mature trees. Distribution: Flowering dogwood is native to the northeastern and southeastern United States. Dogwood Anthracnose The early symptoms begin in mid-to-late May as leaf spots with tan or purple borders. In wet weather, these spots can rapidly enlarge and kill the entire leaf. The disease spreads from infected leaves into the twigs and branches and can cause dieback of the limbs.Leaf spots on flowering dogwoods are common and are usually only cosmetic. A common leaf spot is spot anthracnose with small reddish-purple spots along leaf veins and/or on flower petals (bracts), pictured on the left. It is more prevalent in wet weather and usually only causes cosmetic damage.
What was dogwood used for in the Bible?
According to the story, it was the dogwood tree that provided the wood used to build the cross on which Jesus was crucified. While the dogwood tree never again took part in an execution, it’s still said to carry the marks of Jesus’ crucifixion. Its four large petals represent the cross he died upon, and each petal displays four red-tinged notches that are said to represent four nail holes.The story continues that when Christ was crucified, His cross was made of the sturdy bark of the Dogwood tree, and (as the legend goes) God both cursed and blessed the Dogwood tree the day His Son died.Because of its role in the crucifixion, it is said that God both cursed and blessed the tree. It was cursed to be small forever, so it would never grow large enough to be used again as a cross for a crucifixion. Its branches would be narrow and crooked, which makes it no good for building.Because of its role in the crucifixion, it is said that God both cursed and blessed the tree. It was cursed to be small forever, so it would never grow large enough to be used again as a cross for a crucifixion. Its branches would be narrow and crooked, which makes it no good for building.
What is so special about a dogwood tree?
The Dogwood tree is a magnificent addition to any landscape, offering a unique blend of vibrant beauty and year-round interest. In spring, it captivates with delicate blossoms, typically in shades of white, pink, or red, transforming into a lush canopy of green in summer. Partial or broken shade is best, but flowering dogwood can tolerate full sun. It does best with some shade in the south and full sun in the north. Shaded trees are less dense, grow more quickly and taller, and have poor flowering and fall color.
What is another name for a flowering dogwood tree?
Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is one of America’s most popular ornamental trees. Known to most people simply as dogwood, it has other common names, including boxwood and cornel. The species name florida is Latin for flowering, but the showy petal-like bracts are not in fact flowers. Dogwoods are most recognized for their cross-shaped white or pink bracts. If you get up close to your tree, you can also spot its true flowers, which look like greenish-yellow clusters in the center.Some of the tree and shrub dogwoods (Cornus kousa) have a graceful spreading habit, which provides sweeping branches of eye-catching white or pink flower bracts.
Where in the Bible did God curse the dogwood tree?
This, in itself, should show us that the rest of the legend, including the cursing of the tree, is simply not true. Since the dogwood tree is not mentioned in the Bible, there is no merit to assigning stories around it. We simply do not know what type of tree was used to fashion the cross the Lord died on. As legend has it, the cross on which Jesus was crucified was made from a dogwood tree. God decreed that the dogwood tree would from that day forth never grow large enough to be used to make a cross. Thus, the dogwood tree is a small, under story tree.
What are the downsides of dogwood trees?
In general, flowering dogwoods do poorly in compacted soils, dry soils, poorly drained soils, neutral to alkaline soils and also during prolonged periods of heat and/or drought. Two of the most serious problems they are sometimes afflicted with are dogwood anthracnose and dogwood borer. Seed grown dogwoods may take from seven to 10 years before they flower although some may flower at a much younger age. Since precocious flowering is often the basis for selecting dogwood cultivars, a grafted cultivar may be a better purchase if early flowering is a concern.But in spots where the roots get hot or dry in summer and where grass competes for moisture and nutrients, dogwoods have a 20 to 30 year lifespan. Add mulch under your tree all the way out to the drip line and fertilize lightly with an organic fertilizer like Holly-Tone or Milorganite.