Written by Rebecca Chavez, Marketing Intern
Different types of dogwood flowers are native all over much of Eurasia, North America, China, Japan and the southeastern United States.
The yellow or green flowers grow in clusters at the center of what seems like petals, which may bloom in white, red or pink, depending on the cultivar. Some think those petals are the flower’s blossom because of their color, but those are actually leaves called bracts. They are a protective jacket for the flower buds in the middle. The Dogwood also blooms in greater numbers when under the sun rather than in shade.
The legendary Dogwood has been told to be the tree used to make the wooden cross Jesus was crucified on. Because of this God declared that the Dogwood tree would never be able to grow large enough to make a cross. The bract of the flower come in four and makes the shape of a cross. The actual cluster of the flower is similar to the crown of thorns and has red-clustered fruit in the middle said to symbolize the blood of Christ. In the outer middle part of each bract leaf is an indention representing nail prints. The flower also blooms in April close to Easter Sunday, which celebrates the resurrection of Christ after he was crucified.