Botanical name:                  Cornus sanguinea

Family:                                   Cornaceae

Common Name:                   Common Dogwood

Habitat and Distribution:

A native of British hedgerows frequent on richer soils, prefers sun to partial shade and a well drained soil.

Description:

A deciduous shrub, 2-5 metres high and wide. It is multi-stemmed with a loose floppy habit.

It has slender, pointed, elliptical leaves 4-7.5 cm (1.5-3 in) long which are dull dark green in summer and turn blood-red to greenish purple colour in autumn.

Small heavily scented white flowers are borne in May to early June which are followed by small black berries that are bitter to the taste.

The stem colour is red

 

Timber:

The timber is hard with bright yellow-brown heartwood which has a firm, uniform texture.

Location within the arboretum:

Three specimens can be found in the old entrance gate area, about half way along, quite close to the fence on the northern boundary.

Furniture Makers Trees at The Arboretum - Kew at Castle Howard

Uses:

The timber has been used for inlays and marquetry.

Traditionally the stems have been used for pegs, skewers and cattle goads.

In the distant past its powdered bark was made into toothpaste, the root bark provided a scarlet dye and the stems woven to make baskets.

Dogwoods were also valued for their healing properties.

 

 

November 2005

Stems

Red stems

Leaves early autumn just showing red on the edges

Flowers in early June

Bitter, black berries in autumn