Pagoda Dogwood
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| iPagoda Dogwood | ||||||||||||||||
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| Image:Cornus alternifolia - Krauss.jpg | ||||||||||||||||
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| Cornus alternifolia L.f. |
Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia, also known as Alternate-leaved Dogwood) is a species of dogwood native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland west to southern Manitoba and Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and Mississippi.
It is a small deciduous tree growing to 8 m (rarely 10 m) tall, with a trunk up to 15 cm diameter, and the branches developing in characteristic flat layers separated by gaps. Its leaves are elliptic to ovate and grow to 4-12 cm long and 2-6 cm broad; it is unusual among dogwoods in the leaves being arranged alternately, not in opposite pairs. The topside of the leaves are smooth and green, while the undersides are hairy and a bluish color. Its bark is colored gray to brown. It becomes ridged as it ages. It grows small cream colored flowers that grow in inflorescences 4-6 cm across, each flower with four small petals. It bears fruit similar to berries with a blackish blue color. These fruits grow 8-10 mm across.
