Flowering trees each have their moment in the spring. The dogwood, a large family, is no exception. A drive bordered by forest during a Missouri spring shows the white blossoms of flowering dogwood before other trees unfurl leaves and block the view from the highway.
You’ll find numerous varieties of dogwood in parks and yards throughout the United States. This example, was recently planted near a friend’s home.
Once, prior to 1614, spoken of as the whipple-tree, the dogwood has been valued for centuries. While the berries are edible and some species are valued by birds, the fruit seldom appears on a host’s table. No, the value in this tree to modern man is appearance and shade. Gone are the days when a person harvested a little bark to make medicinal tea to relieve pain and fever.
As the state tree in Missouri (and with similar honors in Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey) they are widespread. Serena Carter, the photographer in the sweet romance Morning Tryst was sure to have encountered dozens in her work within Missouri State Parks. For more on her second-chance romance, click the link: https://amzn.to/35gH37S
