Dogwood Central | Flower cluster inconspicuous Usually greenish Surrounded by large petal-like bracts |
H
ere is an image of the flowers of the Dogwood that most people never see. These are tiny clusters at the center of the large white or pink "bracts" that are the familiar and distinguishing feature of the blooming tree.
The name 'dogwood' is an altered form of ‘dagwood’, which comes from an early use of the dogwood stems for making daggers or skewers. The dense wood was also employed in making small tools and handles that benefited from a hard and strong material.
“But high o'er all the early floral train,
Where softness all the arching sky resumes,
The dogwood dancing to the winds' refrain,
In stainless glory spreads its snowy blooms.” - George Marion McClellan
