Common dogwood

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Our ancestors used to say that “the small barrel preserve the best wine", and they were bloody right! At under four meters, this shrub is a bundle of cuteness and scent, thanks to its fire-red branches and tiny white flowers. Its greatest admirers? Thrushes, blackbirds and starlings!

Features

Scientific name: Cornus sanguinea
Common name: Common dogwood

It is a member of the Cornaceae family. It is found throughout Italy, mainly in deciduous forests and hedgerows, from sea level up to about 1,300 meters. It often grows in shrub form, with many dense branches and dark brown bark. The oval leaves turn bright red in autumn. On young branches it can be seen that the buds are arranged parallel in pairs, one on the right and one on the left. The hermaphrodite flowers, are creamy-white and smell bad, but the beetles find them amazing! The fruits are blackish, bitter-tasting drupes, sometimes dotted with white, whose kernel houses two oily seeds.

Fun facts

Common dogwood is often planted for environmental restoration in loamy areas, as an ornamental plant or to form hedges along with other shrubs. On top of that, birds are fond of its berries.

Properties and Uses

Its beautiful white inflorescences and pleasant stem color makes the common dogwood perfect for hedges. Young suckers, the branches that grow near the base of the tree, can be used to make baskets thanks to their flexibility.