Virginia Tech Dendrology

giant dogwood Cornaceae Cornus controversa Hemsl. ex Prain symbol: COCO32
Leaf: Alternate, simple, oval to ovate, 4 to 6 inches long, arcuate venation, green above and paler below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; small, white, in flat-topped clusters, to 7 inches across, appearing in spring.
Fruit: Bluish-black drupe in clusters, (3/8 inch in diameter); fruit stalks turn reddish, ripen in late summer.
Twig: Slender, gray-green and becoming red during winter, with large semi-circular leaf scars; terminal buds scaly, 3/8 inch long, becoming red, ovoid; flower buds nearly round.
Bark: Smooth, dark gray to yellow-gray.
Form: Small to medium-sized tree, may reach 50 feet tall; slender branches often horizontal and tiered.

Additional Range Information: Cornus controversa is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information