Pacific dogwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pacific Dogwood |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cornus
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| Species: |
nuttallii
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| Natural range | |
| Synonyms | |
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Benthamidia nuttallii (Audubon ex Torr. & A.Gray) Moldenke |
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The Pacific Dogwood (scientific name: Cornus nuttallii) is a beautiful tree found in western North America. It grows from southern British Columbia all the way down to the mountains of southern California. You can also find some of these trees in central Idaho. This tree is a type of dogwood and loses its leaves in the fall. It can grow to be a small to medium-sized tree, usually between 10 to 25 meters (about 33 to 82 feet) tall.
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What Does a Pacific Dogwood Look Like?
The leaves of the Pacific Dogwood are opposite each other on the branch. They are simple, oval-shaped, and measure about 8 to 12 centimeters (3 to 5 inches) long and 5 to 8 centimeters (2 to 3 inches) wide.
The actual flowers are very small and hard to see. They are only about 2 to 3 millimeters across. These tiny flowers grow in a tight, round cluster that is greenish-white and about 2 centimeters (less than an inch) wide. What most people think are the "petals" of the dogwood are actually large, white leaf-like structures called bracts. There are usually 4 to 8 of these bracts, and each one is about 4 to 7 centimeters (1.5 to 2.7 inches) long and wide.
The fruit of the Pacific Dogwood is a cluster of pink-red berries. This cluster is about 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) wide and holds 50 to 100 small seeds. The fruit is safe to eat, but it doesn't taste very good. Band-tailed pigeons enjoy eating these berries.
Challenges for the Pacific Dogwood
Like its relative, the Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), the Pacific Dogwood can get a serious plant disease. This disease is called dogwood anthracnose. It is caused by a tiny fungus named Discula destructiva. This fungus has unfortunately killed many large Pacific Dogwood trees in the wild. It has also made it harder to use this tree for decoration in gardens and parks.
Naming the Pacific Dogwood
The scientific name Cornus nuttallii honors Thomas Nuttall. He was an English botanist and zoologist who studied plants in North America in the 1800s. The word Cornus comes from an old Latin word for a type of cherry tree. It means 'horn', possibly because of the hard wood of some dogwood trees.
Some Plateau Indian tribes used the bark of the Pacific Dogwood for traditional medicines. They used it as a laxative (to help with digestion) and an emetic (to cause vomiting).
A Special Flower for British Columbia
The Pacific Dogwood has been the official provincial flower of British Columbia, Canada, since 1956. For a while, there was a law in British Columbia that protected this tree. This law also protected two other plants: the Rhododendron macrophyllum and the Trillium ovatum. However, this protection law was removed in 2002.
Images for kids
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British Columbia Dogwood in flower.
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Pacific Dogwood in the understory of a forest, showing its typical habit.
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See also
In Spanish: Cornejo del Pacífico para niños
