Leaf guide › Other hardwoods
Flowering dogwood
Cornus florida
Deep wine-red leaves and bright red berries in the forest understory.
- Fall color
- RedPurple
- Turns
- Early
- Leaves
- Opposite (in pairs)
- Size
- 3–6 in. long
- Found in
- Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest
How to recognize it
- Oval leaf with smooth, slightly wavy edges.
- Side veins curve upward to follow the edge toward the tip.
- Gently pull a leaf apart: thin, stretchy threads hold the halves together.
- Clusters of glossy red berries in fall.
Where to find it
Look for it as a small tree at the edges of woods, along roads, and in yards, often beneath oaks and pines. Its branches spread in flat, layered tiers.
Easy to confuse with
Worth knowing
Flowering dogwood is the state tree of Virginia and Missouri. Its berries are an important fall food for migrating songbirds. Its big white spring “flowers” are actually four petal-like bracts surrounding a cluster of tiny true flowers.
Common questions
What color does flowering dogwood turn in fall?
Flowering dogwood turns deep red to wine-purple, and its clusters of glossy red berries make it stand out even more.
When does flowering dogwood change color?
Early. In the forest understory it often colors ahead of the taller trees above it.
How can you tell flowering dogwood from black gum?
Black gum: Leaves alternate along the twig, and the veins don’t arc toward the tip. Flowering dogwood: Oval leaf with smooth, slightly wavy edges.
Where does flowering dogwood grow?
In the lower 48, look for it in the Appalachians, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, and the Midwest.
See where the color is peaking today.
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