Flowering Dogwood (AVAILABLE AUGUST 2025)

The bright white flowers of the dogwood are a familiar sign of spring. Blooms are found in front yards across the mid-Atlantic. The tree’s popularity may be due to their short stature, bonsai-like shape, or showy flowers. Regardless, they are undoubtedly among our most popular native trees. These flowering trees have been prized by generations of Americans dating back to the founding fathers. In his journal, George Washington noted that he planted “a circle of dogwoods with a redbud in the middle” at Mount Vernon. Thomas Jefferson also incorporated flowering dogwoods into his Monticello gardens.

Their wood has some interesting characteristics. It’s incredibly hard, shock resistant, and gets smoother with wear. These characteristics made it the perfect wood to use in the textile industry. 19th century mechanical looms would throw shuttles at high speeds. The dogwood made a durable shuttle that would smooth with wear. Because of its properties, dogwood lumber was also used for golfclub heads, mallets, and chisel handles. The flowering dogwood is also valuable to wildlife. Its fruits are eaten by songbirds and small mammals such as chipmunk, squirrel, and mice. The dogwood is also host to 124 species of butterfly and moth. Consider planting a dogwood in your yard for its beauty and practicality.