Indigenous flower Virginia

The American Dogwood is a Virginia indigenous flower that also occupies the status of being the State’s official flower. The plant is actually in the form of a deciduous tree, growing up to a height of about 10 meters. Being deciduous, this Virginia indigenous flower does shed its foliage during fall and winter season. The foliage, composed of oval-shaped leaves arranged oppositely turns a reddish-brown hue during autumn.

Many people think that the flowers of the American Dogwood are the white blossoms. It isn’t actually. The structure most often thought to be the flower is actually made up of bracts and not petals. In the center of these four white bracts is the structure which holds the real flowers. There are actually around 20 tiny flowers clustered inside the circle in the center of the bracts. Of course, this is just a bit of technicality. People still refer to the whole structure, including the bracts as the flower.

Although white dominates as the color of most bracts, there are actually a lot of different varieties and colors of this Virginia indigenous flower. There are some varieties which have bracts ranging from pink to red. This just goes to show you just how much variety there can be in nature. You can enjoy the plethora of blossoms from April to May, which is when the trees bloom.

This Virginia indigenous flower is also known for its fruit. Coming in groups of about 6 drupes, the fruits actually turn red when they ripen. When ripe, they are quite sweet and delicious. Actually, they are even used in Mexico to flavor teas and other types of drinks. The sweetness of the drupes are actually the plant’s way of attracting birds to eat the fruit and propagate the seeds.

One of the biggest enemies of this indigenous flower of Virginia is Dogwood Anthracnose, which is an illness that the American Dogwood is quite susceptible to. Usually, this disease can be prevented if you plant the American Dogwood where air circulation is great and the humidity is low.

Another tip for those wishing to cultivate this Virginia indigenous flower is that you should plant the American Dogwood where it can experience a bit of sun and shade. The best thing you can do is put it where it has a shade to the west. By doing this, the plant will be exposed to the sun in the morning, but be shaded in the afternoons. You should never expose the plants to intense heat, such as those generated in parking lots. Intense heat will kill this Virginia indigenous flower.

The American Dogwood should not be planted close to sea areas as it has a very low tolerance for salt. The wood of this Virginia indigenous flower has a high density, making it an ideal raw material for the making of tool handles and other items.

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