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Cornus florida
| Common name: |
Flowering Dogwood |
Family: |
Cornaceae |
| Author: |
L. |
Botanical references: |
11, 43, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
Cynoxylon floridum ((L.)Raf.), Benthamidia florida (Spach.) |
| Known Hazards: |
There is a report that the fruit is poisonous for humans[229]. |
| Range: |
Eastern N. America - Maine to Florida, east to Kansas and Texas. |
| Habitat: |
Rich well-drained soils in acidic woods to 1500 metres[43, 82]. An understorey tree in dry deciduous woods[82, 222]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
2 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 2 |
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| America-Yama-Bosi [E], American Boxwood [H], American Dogwood [H], Bitter Redberry [H], Box Tree [H], Cornel [H], Dog-Tree [H], Dogwood [E], Dogwood, Flowering [S], Flowering Dogwood [DEN1,FEIS,H,B,P,S,L], New England Boxwood [H], Virginian Dogwood [H], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
florida = flowering
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Cornales. Dogwood family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Us
Us(Amerindian)
|
Physical Characteristics
A decidious shrub growing to 6m by 8m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 5 and is frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in November. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
We rate it 2/5 for edibility and
2/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil.
The plant prefers acid and neutral soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It requires moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.Edible Uses
Drink.
Fruit - cooked. The fruit is not poisonous, but is almost inedible
raw[226]. When the seed is removed and the flesh is mashed, it can be mixed
with other fruits and made into jams, jellies etc[226]. The fruit, when
infused in 'Eau de Vie' makes a bitter but acceptable drink[4]. One report
says that the fruit is poisonous for humans[229]. The fruit is borne in
clusters, each fruit being up to 15mm in diameter with a thin mealy bitter
flesh[229]. The fruit is high in lipids, uo to 35% of dry weight[274].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Anthelmintic
Antiperiodic Astringent Bitter Diaphoretic Poultice Stimulant Tonic.
Flowering dogwood was employed medicinally by a number of native North
American Indian tribes who valued it especially for its astringent and
antiperiodic properties[257]. It is little used in modern herbalism.
The dried root-bark is antiperiodic, astringent, diaphoretic, mildly
stimulant and tonic[4, 46, 61, 95, 257]. The flowers are said to have similar
properties[4]. A tea or tincture of the astringent root bark has been used as
a quinine substitute to treat malaria[95, 222, 257] and also in the treatment
of chronic diarrhoea[222]. The bark has also been used as a poultice on
external ulcers, wounds etc[222, 257]. The glycoside 'cornin' found in the
bark has astringent properties[213].
The inner bark was boiled and the tea drunk to reduce fevers and to restore
a lost voice[213, 257].
A compound infusion of the bark and the root has been used in the treatment
of various childhood diseases such as measles and worms[257]. It was often
used in the form of a bath[257].
The fruits are used as a bitter digestive tonic[222]. A tincture of them has
been used to restore tone to the stomach in cases of alcoholism[4].
Other Uses
Brush
Dye Ink Repellent Teeth Wood.
A red dye is obtained from the fibrous root[4, 95].
The peeled twigs are used as toothbrushes, they are good for whitening the
teeth[4, 95, 102]. The juice from the twigs preserves and hardens the
gums[4]. The twigs can also be chewed to make natural paintbrushes[102].
A black ink can be made from the bark mixed with gum arabic and iron
sulphate[4].
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[4, 46, 61, 82, 102, 171, 227].
Cultivation details
An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any soil of good or moderate
fertility[1], ranging from acid to shallow chalk[200]. Dislikes shallow clay
soils and chalky soils[98, 182]. Requires a neutral to acid soil according to
another report[202]. Prefers a rich loamy well-drained soil[98]. Succeeds in
full sun or light shade[[188]. Plants can be trained to grow against a wall
when they prefer a position in light shade[202].
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[11, 200]. They require a long hot humid summer if
they are to grow well, doing best in the east or south-east of Britain[182,
200] 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[200].
Medium to fast growing when young, but slowing with age[202]. Trees are
short-lived[229].
A very ornamental plant, there are many named varieties[200, 202]. It is the
state flower of Virginia[212].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or in an
outdoors seedbed if there is sufficient seed[80, 113]. The seed must be
separated from the fruit flesh since this contains germination inhibitors[80,
164]. Stored seed should be cold stratified for 3 - 4 months and sown as
early as possible in the year[164]. Scarification may also help as may a
period of warm stratification before the cold stratification[80, 164].
Germination, especially of stored seed, can be very slow, taking 18 months or
more[164]. 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[188].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, taken with a heel if
possible, autumn in a cold frame. High percentage[78].
Layering of new growth in June/July. Takes 9 months[78].
Cultivars
- ''
- No entries have been made for this species as yet.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [V] Images
from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A& M Bioinformatics Working Group.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [S] Illustration
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [DEN] Data _ Photos
(Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
- [FEIS] Data
(Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.
- [FEIS] Data
(Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.
References for Benthamidia florida (a possible synonym).
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
References for cornus florida (a possible synonym).
References for the family Cornaceae.
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
[80] McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985 ISBN 0-901361-21-6
Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.
[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.
[95] Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976 ISBN 0-486-23310-3
Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.
[98] Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.
Very comprehensive guide to growing trees and shrubs from seed. Not for the casual reader.
[102] Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979 ISBN 0-394-72811-4
Another guide to the wild foods of America.
[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.
[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.
[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.
[212] Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963 ISBN 63-7093
Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses.
[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[226] Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989 ISBN 0889025649
Very good on identification for non-experts, the book also has a lot of information on plant uses.
[227] Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. 1982 ISBN 0292780206
A readable guide to the area, it contains descriptions of the plants and their habitats with quite a bit of information on plant uses.
[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
Readers Comments
Cornus florida
Austin
Sat Apr 08 11:01:47
2000
Your entry states that Cornus Florida height is 6' and width 8'.
This
absolutely incorrect. It's a tree for Pete's sake. It gets at least
30' tall
in Florida.
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Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Cornus+florida
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