CORNUS FLORIDA

The familiar flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) has been called the aristocrat of native flowering trees. Noted for its beauty and year-round ornamental value, it is also an important food source for birds and wildlife. Tennessee produces more flowering dogwoods than any other state, and Franklin County is near the top of the list of counties that grow them commercially. More new dogwood varieties, called cultivars, have been developed and named by nurserymen in Franklin County than anywhere in the world.