Tree Talk with LEAF: Flowering Dogwoods

Contributed

Erie has so many gorgeous flowering trees, and the queen of them all just might be the Flowering Dogwood. This tree, also known by the Latin Cornus florida, is our region's key native dogwood species and includes cultivars (or "cultivated varieties") with both pink and white blooms. The iconic, symmetrical "flowers" are actually made up of four showy bracts, or leaf-like structures, surrounding a burst of tiny yellow-green flora. Starting in late spring and stretching out into early summer, Erie residents will see the city's Flowering Dogwood trees create cascades of flowers growing in stark contrast against thin, dark-green leaves.

One of my favorites of these trees is a White Flowering Dogwood growing in Frontier Park in the southeast corner of the arboretum, close to the corner of 8th Street and the Bayfront Connector. The tree itself is likely a few decades years old and stands above the walking path by a good twenty feet. Dogwoods by nature are typically on the shorter, shrubbier side of things, so a tall dogwood with a wall of white blooms is definitely a sight to behold. On a warm, early-summer day, this tree casts a cool shade beneath it and offers a lovely stop for anyone on a stroll through the park.

It's not just people who admire the Flowering Dogwood tree, either. On that same sunny day, our White Flowering Dogwood is likely to be abuzz with bird and insect activity. Native flowering dogwood trees provide safe and sturdy shelter for a plethora of birds, including the endangered Wood Thrush. The iridescent-green sweat bee is a frequent flier when it comes to this tree, collecting pollen alongside beetles and honeybees. Spring and summer azure butterflies and tussock moths use the tree as a vital habitat. Later, in autumn, the nutrient-rich leaf litter of native flowering dogwoods will decompose at a rate up to ten times faster than their nonnative compatriots. This is a win for the trees, for the soil, and for all the organisms important to Erie's unique ecology.

It's no wonder, then, that Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park (LEAF) has named the Flowering Dogwood Tree its inaugural "Tree of the Year." As both a fan-favorite among Erieites and a stunner in the world of local ecology, this tree is the perfect flagship species for a city that reflects its timeless beauty. After northern winters that last just short of forever, any native flowering tree is a sight for sore eyes, and the Flowering Dogwood is a particularly heartwarming classic. Plus, in place of some of the more typical ornamental landscaping plants, the native dogwood tree and other native flowering trees like it – Serviceberry, Ninebark, Chokeberry, Eastern Redbud – are better choices both environmentally and historically for good old Erie.

For more information on Erie's Arboretum at LEAF, visit: leaferie.org

Hannah Rhodes can be reached at hannah@leaferie.org