Virginia State Tree

Virginia State Tree

Flowering Dogwood 

Cornaceae Cornus florida virginia state tree flowing dogwood

Leaf

Opposite, simple, arcuately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, oval in shape with an entire margin.

Flower

Very small, but surrounded by 4 large white (occasionally pink) bracts,
2 inches in diameter. Appearing March to April in the south, and June in the north.

Fruit

A shiny, oval red drupe, 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, in clusters of 3 to 4.
Maturing in September to October.

Twig

Slender, green or purple, later turning gray, often with a glaucous bloom. The terminal flower buds are clover-shaped, vegetative buds resemble a cat claw.

Bark

Gray when young, turning very scaly to blocky.

Form

A small tree with a short trunk that branches low, producing a flat-topped crown. Branches are opposite and assume a “candelabra” appearance.

Copyright 2019 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and
Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John
Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson;
Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information