One of North Carolina's most common, showy, and familiar understory trees.

Chapel Hill, NC 3/31/07.

The white bracts surrounding the flower clusters are unmistakable and very showy in early to mid-April.

Carroll Co., VA 4/15/06.

The flowers at left are not yet open.

Carroll Co., VA 4/15/06.

Flowering Dogwood is the North Carolina state flower. The actual flowers are small and yellowish-green. Some cultivars have pink bracts.

Chapel Hill, NC 4/13/02.

Close-up of the small, yellowish-green flowers.

Chapel Hill, NC 3/31/07.

A wild mutant flower - all the flower clusters on this tree had six pink bracts instead of four white ones.

Granville Co., NC 4/27/03.

The leaves are opposite, simple, and have prominent veins.

Orange Co., NC 9/20/02.

The bright red fruits, which ripen in September, are eaten by birds.

Orange Co., NC 9/20/02.

Note the distinctive shape of the four-parted flower bud.

Alleghany Co., NC 9/23/06.

Carroll Co., VA 10/16/06.

Carroll Co., VA 10/16/06.

The fruits last throughout the fall and winter. Fall foliage color is deep purplish-red.

Scotland Co., NC 11/1/08.

Carroll Co., VA 10/26/08.

Carroll Co., VA 10/26/08.

Flower buds breaking.

Moore Co., NC 3/22/08.

You can tell a dogwood by its distinctive bark, which is broken into small squarish blocks on mature trees.

Harnett Co., NC 4/19/03.

Bark of a large dogwood tree (with a small tree to the right).

Moore Co., NC 3/22/08.