Missouri State Tree: Flowering Dogwood

Missouri's official state tree is the Flowering Dogwood, a small deciduous tree that grows 20 to 30 feet tall. Unlike towering oaks and pines, dogwood remains relatively small throughout its life, rarely exceeding 40 feet even in ideal conditions. The trunk measures six to twelve inches in diameter on mature Missouri specimens. This modest size allows dogwood to grow as an understory tree beneath taller forest species. Missouri's dogwoods create natural beauty rather than commercial value - the tree provides ornamental rather than timber worth. The species thrives in Missouri's climate, blooming reliably each spring and tolerating the state's hot summers and variable winters.

The flowers provide the tree's main attraction and give it the common name. What appear as large white or pink flowers are actually modified leaves called bracts. Four bracts surround the actual tiny flowers clustered at the center. Each bract measures two to four inches long, creating a showy display four to six inches across. The bracts emerge pale green, turn white or pink as they expand, and persist for two to three weeks in April and May. Missouri's dogwoods bloom before leaves emerge fully, making the white or pink display especially dramatic against bare branches and brown forest floors. True flowers sit at the center as a tight cluster of small greenish-yellow blooms.

Flowering dogwood grows wild throughout Missouri except in the northwestern prairie counties. The species thrives in Missouri's Ozark forests, along wooded streams, and on hillsides across southern and central counties. Dogwood prefers partial shade and moist, well-drained acidic soils typical of Missouri woodlands. The tree grows as an understory species, occupying the layer between forest floor and canopy. Missouri's native dogwoods bloom in waves from south to north as spring progresses, with southern Missouri dogwoods flowering in early April and northern specimens blooming in early May. The tree produces bright red berries in fall that feed Missouri's robins, cardinals, turkeys, and numerous other birds.

The official name is Flowering Dogwood, distinguishing it from other dogwood species that don't produce showy blooms. Missourians simply call it dogwood in everyday speech. The scientific name Cornus florida combines Cornus (Latin for horn, referring to the hard wood) with florida (meaning flowering). The common name 'dogwood' has uncertain origins - some say it comes from 'dagwood' referring to the wood used for making skewers called dags, while others trace it to 'dog tree' for medicinal bark once used to wash dogs.

Historical names include boxwood for the dense, hard wood that resembles boxwood. Some old Missourians call it flowering cornel, using an archaic name for dogwood. The species belongs to the Cornaceae family, the dogwood family. Missouri's flowering dogwood is the same species found across eastern North America, though the western subspecies differs slightly. No distinct Missouri variety exists, though trees in southern Missouri tend to bloom earlier and show more pink-bracted individuals than northern specimens.

Missouri adopted the Flowering Dogwood as its official state tree on June 20, 1955. The Missouri General Assembly passed House Bill 78 during the 1955 session. Governor Phil M. Donnelly signed the legislation establishing dogwood as Missouri's arboreal symbol. The designation came after Missouri schoolchildren participated in a statewide vote to select the state tree. The children's choice of dogwood reflected the tree's visibility in Missouri landscapes and its widespread popularity across the state.

Missouri selected flowering dogwood because it represents the state's natural woodland beauty. The tree blooms spectacularly each spring in Missouri forests, particularly in the Ozarks where dogwood grows abundantly. Unlike purely commercial timber trees, dogwood offers aesthetic value that all Missourians can appreciate. The spring blooms create memorable displays along Missouri roads, in parks, and throughout native woodlands. Mark Twain and other Missouri writers referenced dogwood blooms as harbingers of spring. The tree's manageable size made it suitable for Missouri home landscapes, allowing residents to grow the state tree in their own yards.

The tree held practical importance in Missouri's past beyond its beauty. Native Americans and early Missouri settlers used dogwood bark to make a bitter tonic for treating fevers and malaria. The extremely hard, dense wood served specialized purposes where hardness mattered more than size - Missouri craftsmen used dogwood for shuttles in textile mills, mallet heads, tool handles, and golf club heads. The wood was sometimes called 'devil's walking stick' for its hardness. During the Civil War, Missouri dogwood bark provided quinine substitute when actual quinine became unavailable. These practical uses, combined with the tree's stunning spring display and native status, made flowering dogwood an ideal symbol for Missouri. The fact that schoolchildren chose the tree added democratic legitimacy to the selection, reflecting Missouri's values of involving citizens in civic decisions.

Missouri's state flower is the White Hawthorn Blossom (Crataegus), designated in 1923. The state adopted its floral symbol more than three decades before choosing the flowering dogwood. Both symbols feature white spring blooms, though hawthorn flowers are much smaller. The flowering dogwood produces its showy four-inch displays in April and May across Missouri forests. The hawthorn blooms slightly later in May, typically after dogwood finishes flowering. Together these symbols represent Missouri's spring woodland displays and the state's native flora. Both trees grow wild throughout Missouri and serve as important food sources for wildlife.

Look first for the distinctive blooms in spring. Four large white or pink bracts surround a center cluster of tiny greenish-yellow flowers. Each bract has a notched tip, creating a distinctive shape. The bracts measure two to four inches long, making the overall display four to six inches across. Pink-bracted forms occur naturally in Missouri though white bracts predominate. The bracts emerge before leaves fully expand, making spring dogwoods highly visible in Missouri woodlands. In fall, look for clusters of glossy red berries that mature in September and October.

The leaves provide identification outside flowering season. Each leaf measures three to six inches long and two to three inches wide with smooth edges. The leaves have prominent curved veins that run parallel to the leaf edge rather than branching - this vein pattern is diagnostic for dogwood. Leaves attach to twigs in an opposite arrangement with two leaves emerging from each node. The leaves turn red or purple in fall before dropping. The bark develops a distinctive blocky pattern resembling alligator hide on mature trees. Small gray-brown squares separate by dark furrows, creating the characteristic checkered appearance.

The growth form shows a low-branched, spreading crown. The trunk divides into several ascending branches close to the ground. Horizontal branching creates distinct layers visible in winter. The crown spreads nearly as wide as the tree is tall, giving dogwood a rounded or flat-topped silhouette. Twigs grow in an opposite pattern and show small flower buds at tips in winter - these buds resemble tiny gray buttons. The overall size remains modest, with most Missouri dogwoods standing 20 to 30 feet tall. Trees growing in shade develop more open crowns reaching for light, while open-grown specimens show denser, more symmetrical forms.

Flowering Dogwood represents Missouri's natural beauty and the annual renewal of spring. The tree symbolizes grace and delicate beauty rather than towering strength. For many Missourians, dogwood blooms signal winter's end and the return of warm weather. The tree evokes memories of spring drives through Missouri's Ozark hills when dogwoods blanket wooded hillsides with white. The fact that Missouri schoolchildren chose the tree reflects democratic values and the importance of involving young citizens. The dogwood connects Missourians to native woodlands and the natural heritage that enriches the state's landscapes and culture.