Cornus alternifolia
Swida alternifolia (L. f.) Small
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Cornus alternifolia L. f. Pagoda dogwood, alternateleaf dogwood
Alternate-leaved dogwood is a North American native plant. Plants: This is the tallest and most tree-like of the native dogwoods, reaching 25' (7.6 m) in height. Others are shrublike or, in the case of bunchberry, only 3 inches tall. Branches are arranged in horizontal layers with intervening gaps, leading to the common name "pagoda dogwood." While this horizontal layering is present in most dogwoods, it is more pronounced in this one. Bark on younger branches is dark reddish (or purplish) brown, turning gray on older ones. Leaves: This dogwood is unusual in that its leaves are alternate—in all other dogwoods, the leaves are opposite. Leaves are deeply veined, elliptical to oval in shape, 2-5" (5-12 cm) × 1-2" (2.5-5 cm), with veins that become almost parallel with the leaf edges as they approach them. Leaf undersides are glaucous: much paler than the tops. Flowers: Yellowish-white clusters of 4-petaled flowers. Fruits: In clusters, purplish-black, ¼" (8.5 mm) in diameter. Online References:
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center The Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden References:
Sibley, David Allen, The Sibley Guide to Trees, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, p. 355 Petrides, George A., Peterson Field Guides: Trees and Shrubs, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1972, p. 271, 352 Little, Elbert L., National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees, Eastern Region, Alfred A. Knopf, 1980, p. 77, 409, 613 Fisher, Kathleen, Taylor's Guide to Shrubs, Houghton Mifflin Co., 2000, p. 81, 82, 276 Dirr, Michael A., Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs, Timber Press, 1997, p. 103 Symonds, George W.D., Shrub Identification Book, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1963, p. 98 Symonds, George W. D.; photos by Chelminski, Stephen V., The Tree Identification Book, Harper, 2003, p. 112 Cornus alternifolia f. description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 22 Sep 2020.
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9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine Range: Zones 3-7:
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