North Carolina Wildflowers

Cornaceae > Cornus

Fairly common statewide in NC along streams, swamp edges, and other moist habitats.

Opposite leaves and arcuate veins (veins that curve toward the leaf tip) characterize most species of dogwoods in the eastern U.S.

White flowers appear in late spring and early summer.

Common in the NC mountains and very similar to the species above, this silky dogwood differs from the species above by the shape of the leaf base and by the type of hairs on the undersides of the leaves.

Common in mesic forested habitats in the western half of North Carolina.

Leaves are glaucous below.

Clusters of white flowers appear in the spring and dark fruits develop in late summer.

Unlike most dogwoods, Alternate-leaf Dogwood has alternate leaves (duh).

Young stems and trunks are green.

Common statewide in and along the edges of various wooded habitats.

The "flowers" are actually clusters of small greenish-yellow flowers in the middle of 4 large white petal-like bracts.

Bright red fruits attract many species of birds.

Foliage often turns deep red in the fall.

Not known from NC, and rare in the Virginia mountains, Bunchberry Dogwood is common in the northern US and Canada, where these photos was taken.