Many of our homes were planted with flowering dogwoods, or Cornus florida. A beautiful choice as this small tree is lovely in all seasons of the year. It is also our state flower, designated in 1941 and is native from coast to mountains. There has been quite a bit of Anthracnose disease damage done to our native dogwoods, mostly in the mountainous areas of North Carolina. This disease is most active at elevations above 1800 ft., so we rarely see anthracnose here in the Piedmont. In addition, there are disease resistant cultivars.
The dogwood has hard, shock-resistant wood and has been used to make tools, household and farm implements. Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington planted flowering dogwoods at their homes. Cornus florida also served as a substitute for quinine during the US Civil War, not as effective as quinine but a decent substitute. The plant was used by Cherokee, Delaware, Houma, Iroquois, and Rapphannock communities for medicines, tools, and decoration, as well as to extract a scarlet red dye and ink. Songbirds enjoy the fruit. The flowering dogwood has also been an ambassador plant with seedlings sent to Japan in gratitude for the Japanese cherries they sent to this country.
The Cherokee had a legend about dogwoods, which they named: kănûsĭ ́tă. They believed that a tiny race of people, or spirits, lived in the dogwood forest, called The Dogwood People. These beings taught the Cherokee how to live in harmony with the land, and watched over the elderly and the infants. The Dogwood People believed in doing good deeds for others for the simple joy of kindness.
Article submitted by PebbleCreek resident, Jan Little. Professionally Jan has had two careers in horticulture, first in landscape architecture and second in botanical gardens.She currently serves as the director of education and public programs at Duke Gardens.
Photograph by K. Weisel, used with permission of photographer.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden /The Wildflower Center / Native American Ethnobotany Database / TreeSpiritWisdom/ Highlands Biological / Donald Culcross Peattie
by Jan
