These trees are much- branches, irregular trees growing upwards of 20 meters tall. The bark is blackish- brown, smooth, becoming finely ridged with age.
The leaves are opposite, deciduous, oval and have a sharp-pointed tip. Leave can grow up to about 10 cm long, deep green on top, grayish green on bottom. These leaves turn pinkish- red in the fall.
The flowers are white with purple, small (5 cm) in tight, hemispheric clusters. These flowers are characterized by 4-6 white or pinkish tinged petals. The inflorescence appearing to be one large flower. This tree flowers in spring, and can often flower again in fall.
This species of dogwood occurs at low elevations; usually on moist, well-drained sites, often along streams and gullies. They like open to fairly dense, usually mixed, forest.
The wood of the western flowering dogwood was considered good for bows, arrows, implement handles and clothing hooks. The bark could also be boiled and used to make brown dye, as was done by the Nlaka’pamux people. Also bark preparations were made for use as a blood purifier, a lung strengthener, or as a treatment for stomach trouble. It’s was used as an ingredient in the Saanich people’s “10 barks” medicine.
The blossom of the Pacific dogwood is the floral emblem of British Columbia. This species was first discovered by David Douglas, but was miss classified as the Eastern dogwood. (Cornus florida) Natralist Thomas Nuttall was the first to recognize it as a new species. There are several theories as to where the name “dogwood.” The first being that the berries were considered so nasty a dog wouldn’t eat them. Another is that it is an amalgamation of verious words ( French dague, Spanish daga, and Sanskrit dag) meaning “skewer” or “dagger,” because the wood of the tree C. Sanguinea was used to make skewers for butchers and other pointed instruments. (daggs) The wood is still in demand for making thread spindles, piano keys, and for other purposes. However, it’s collection is STRICKTLY PROHIBITED BY LAW IN BRITISH COLUMBIA!
Images by sapper11g
Location Children’s Museum, Olympia WA
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