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Community Corner

Celebrating Missouri's Dogwood on Arbor Day

The lovely dogwood has been Missouri's state tree since 1955. Today, April 27, is a great time to honor these unassuming trees. Did you know its wood is used by weaponry?

Missouri designated the flowering dogwood (Cornus Florida L.) as the official state tree, and as state trees go, dogwoods are pretty popular. New Jersey and Virginia also have the dogwood as one of their state symbols.

The deciduous dogwood is a small tree—not very noticeable except when it flowers—usually in April. Then it becomes a glorious harbinger of spring, with loads of showy flowers. The branches arc gracefully, and because of this attractive growth habit, it is oftentimes featured in gardens by being placed at a doorway or the edge of woods. Typical prices for dogwood trees, both pink and white, range from $70 to $300, depending on the size and variety.

"The dogwoods sold in nurseries are hybrids," said Julie Straatmann, manager at in Wildwood. "They are more disease resistant, have more flower production and more branches. There are lots of different kinds of dogwood trees. Some are shrubs and some are ground covers. The dogwood prefers morning sun and afternoon shade, and those are places where you'll usually find them in the woods."

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The flowers are usually greenish-white but depending on the variety, the color may be pink or yellow. In the fall, the dogwood develops red berries and the leaves also turn a dark red before they drop off the tree in winter.

The word dogwood stems from the ancient English word "dag" and is the origin of the word "dagger." Handles and weapons were made with the very hard, fine wood of the dogwood tree. It is also used for making arrows, loom shuttles and other small items that required a very hard, strong wood.

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The dogwood in ages past was known as the the whipple-tree. By the mid-1550s, the name "dog-tree" was being used. Finally in 1614, the common name for the tree became dogwood. Some tree experts think the common name of dogwood came about because dogs were washed with a brew from its bark.

Both and are nationally recognized USA Tree Cities. Read related article:

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